One Piece One-shots
by Yellowpikmin88
Summary: A series of shenanigans involving our favourite band of motley misfit pirates. Luffy x Nami and Zoro x Robin included in some chapters. These stories take place in the universe of fellow writer XfangheartX so there will be some references in some stories to her own One Piece adventures and the inclusion of her OCs Blizzard, Aika and Kumi (permission granted)
1. Nami I Shrunk Your Boyfriend

**One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

It was yet another normal day on the Thousand Sunny. Nami was currently drawing her maps. Zoro was training (no surprise there). Robin was deep in a book (no surprise there either), while Sanji was washing up from breakfast. Brook was currently playing his violin in the aquarium bar while Blizzard was taking a nap out on the grassy deck. Franky and Usopp however were both below deck, the cyborg developing a new weapon for the ship while Usopp was tending to his Pop Green farm (where else do you think he keeps getting the seeds from?). Chopper meanwhile was currently making his medicine but his work was soon interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in." the reindeer called. The door swung open to reveal Luffy clutching his stomach and groaning. It didn't take long for Chopper to realise what was wrong, and sighed.

"What was it this time Luffy?"

"A combination of gummy bears and a couple of chocolate bars." The captain replied miserably.

"Just reach for the bottle on the top shelf with the green liquid in it. A couple of spoonful's and you should be better in a few hours." Chopper said who had turned back to his work. Luffy looked up at the shelf to see two green bottles on it.

"Which one was it again?"

"The green one."

"There's two of them."

"Take the one on the left." Luffy glanced back and forth between the two bottles, and being the idiot that he was took the one on the right before swallowing the entire contents of the bottle. He sighed after draining the last drop.

"Wow. I feel better already."

"That's the spirit Luffy. I love it when you're optimistic." Chopper smiled.

"Actually, I feel kinda funny. I'm I supposed to be seeing pink in front of my eyes?" Luffy asked.

"…No." Chopper turned and gasped. A pinkish glow was surrounding Luffy's body, but seconds later…he began to shrink."

"Ch-Chopper, what's happening to you? You're getting bigger." Luffy said until he was no bigger than two inches. The little reindeer jumped down from his swivel chair before getting down on all fours and staring at his now tiny captain.

"But… but this isn't right. You're not supposed to shrink." He said before looking up at the medicine shelf and gasped when he saw the empty bottle.

"Luffy? Which bottle did you drink?"

"The one on the left, like you said." Luffy said in a small voice (he sounded like his tiny form after using gear third if he had sucked up some helium.)

"THAT WAS THE ONE ON THE LEFT YOU IDIOT!" Chopper shouted as he pointed at the other bottle that was still full of medicine.

"Not so loud Chopper." Luffy groaned as he covered his ears.

"Don't you know what you've done? That was my wart shrinking remedy. It's made to shrink warts and pimples down to a small size so that they can be removed much quicker. Don't tell me you drank it."

"Every drop."

"Aaaarrghhh! This is a disaster!" Chopper yelled as he began running in panicked circles.

"Wait, so I've got smaller? You've not grown bigger?"

"No!" Luffy thought this through for a moment before a big grin spread across his face.

"This is fantastic!"

"How is it _fantastic_?" Chopper asked, completely confused.

"Don't you see? If I eat a leg of meat at this size, it'll be like eating twenty legs of meat. I can eat all I want while taking less food." Luffy cheered, while Chopper only continued to stare at him.

"This medicine wasn't meant for shrinking people. There's no knowing what will happen to you."

"I don't care. Hang on meat, here I come!~" Luffy sang as he ran out the back door of the sickbay.

"LUFFY COME BACK HERE! I HAVE TO CHANGE YOU BACK!" Chopper called, but his idiot captain was already gone, leaving the little doctor in a panic.

"What am I gonna do? If Nami finds out I shrunk Luffy, she'll beat me black and blue. And when she gets her hands on Luffy, she'll be pissed off at him too. WHY AM I SPEAKING IN RYME?!" he panicked. "I've got to find Luffy and change him back before Nami finds out."

XXX

The tiny Luffy had finally made his way to the kitchen. It'd taken him five minutes to run round the deck to the door and another five to climb up and through the porthole. He could see Sanji standing at the sink, washing the last of the dishes. As Luffy took a step forward, the cook suddenly looked up from his work.

"That's weird. For some reason I feel like I'm being watched." He muttered before shrugging and going back to scrubbing. Luffy snickered as he sneaked past Sanji and up to the fridge before the latter began to walk over to it and type in the code, but due to the lock being up so high, Luffy couldn't see him type in the combination. But he didn't care because while the door was open he quickly stretched his arms out and grabbed a leg of beef. Big mistake. Sanji, noticing the leg of running meat immediately thought what anybody else would think if they saw food scuttling off.

"RAT!" he shouted before reaching for one of the brooms and swinging it at the leg of meat, sending it a Luffy flying against the wall.

"SANJI WAIT IT'S ME LUFFY!" but due to his small size, the captain could only make small squeaks and due to his rage, and hatred against vermin, Sanji was unable to see it was his idiot captain he was attempting to flatten. HE continued to chase after Luffy who was still carrying the meat, swatting at him with the broom every second, only for Luffy to dodge it due to his Haki, until the tiny captain scampered up the ladder and out onto the upper deck (still with the leg of meat). Sanji stared blankly for a few seconds before throwing the broom to the floor in a rage.

"Dammit! If I let that vermin get away, it'll keep coming back to steal food. Looks like I need to bring out the big guns. Blizzard! Here boy!" No sooner had he called, the white wolf-dog came trotting through the dog door before sitting in front of Sanji. The latter took a drag on his cigarette before facing the former.

"I have an assignment for you, Blizzard." He said. "We've got a rat on the loose and it's already stolen a leg of meat. If you can catch this little thief I'll make you some peanut butter cookies as a reward." Blizzard barked happily at the mention of 'peanut butter cookies' and wagged his tail.

"Well then, go get that rat." The wolf dog moved one of his pricked ears into a salute before turning and running back out the dog door to begin his mission. But not soon after he'd left, Chopper came walking into the kitchen.

"Sanji, have you seen Luffy?"

"Nope, haven't seen him Chopper. I'm kind of in the middle of hunting a rat that stole some meat, so I sent Blizzard out to kill it."

"YOU WHAT?!"

"Well what do you think I'm gonna do? It's a rat. We can't have rats on our ship."

"B-But Sanji-"

"Sorry Chopper, but I can't talk right now. I need to finish washing up." Sanji said as he ushered Chopper out of the kitchen and shut the door.

"Oh no." the little reindeer whimpered. "Now I have to find Blizzard before he eats his best friend."

XXX

After escaping the angry Sanji, Luffy had sat down next to Nami's tangerine grove to eat his meat and was now bloated like beach ball.

**UUURRRPP!**

"Whew! I was right. Just one leg of meat and it feels like I've eaten twenty. And now for a nice big tangerine for dessert." Luffy was about to stretch his hands up to grab one of the fruits until he suddenly heard growling. He slowly turned to see Blizzard pressed against the deck ready to pounce and Luffy not realising what his dog was intending to do, waved to him.

"Hi Blizzard. Enjoy your nap?" he said (or squeaked due to his size). At that same moment, the white hound immediately sprinted towards him.

"Oh you wanna play boy. I don't think I'll be able to play fetch at this-" but before Luffy could finish his sentence he had to jump out of the way to avoid Blizzard's snapping jaws.

"WHOAH! What are you doing boy?! I'm not your chew toy!" Luffy shouted, but Blizzard only continued to snap at him, but again, Luffy was able to easily doge the attacks with his Haki.

"_What's with this rat? I can't even touch him!_" Blizzard thought, but before he could make another bite, Luffy jumped away from Blizzard and down the trap door in the main deck which led to the soldier dock system.

"_You're not getting away that easily. There's no way in hell missing out on those peanut butter cookies._" Blizzard snarled as he chased after the 'rat'. At this point chopper had got up onto the upper deck when he heard barking, only to glimpse Blizzard's tail disappearing down the trap door.

"Damn. No matter where I go, Luffy's always one step ahead of me. I can't give up though, he needs me." The reindeer then jumped down onto the main deck and through the trap door. He just hoped his big brother hadn't eaten Luffy yet.

XXX

Down below deck, Franky was currently welding some metal to the new weapon he was working on, while Usopp was gathering more pop green seeds from his farm. He gently pressed a large yellow flower bud with green spots (about the size of an ostrich egg), which then popped open to reveal about thirty green seeds inside it.

"Perfect." The sniper smiled as he picked the seeds out of the bulb and placed them in one the crates where he categorized them before closing the bud up again so it could produce more. He then picked up a clipboard before jotting down some notes.

"Okay. That's eighty _devils_, fifty _impact wolves_, sixty-five _Humandrakes_ and forty _Skull Bombgrass_. Not bad for this week's harvest." He smiled before putting the clipboard away but no sooner had he done this he heard the pitter patter of dog feet on the floor. He turned to see Blizzard charging down the corridor towards them but he couldn't make out the tiny Luffy running in front of him.

"Blizzard! What are you doing? You know you're not supposed to running around down here." He said, but the wolf-dog ignored him as he ran past Usopp and Franky.

"What's got into Snowy?" the cyborg wondered.

"Beats me." But no sooner had Usopp said this, Chopper came dashing down the corridor as well, only to trip on a bolt that was lying on the floor and tumble into some of the crates with a thud. The resulting impact caused a pop green seed to bounce out and fall towards the floor. Usopp noticing this made a dive for the falling seed.

"NOOOOOOO!" he screamed, but the seed hit the floor, resulting in a large Rafflesia flower sprouting in the middle of the room and releasing its foul odour.

"GROSS!" Chopper groaned as he covered his little blue nose.

"HOLY CRAP THAT REAKS!" Franky yelled as he also pinched his metal nose tightly. Usopp quickly made a grab for a spray bottle which he proceeded to use on the flower which then shrank back into a seed. He sighed.

"Dammit Chopper. What the hell's gotten into you?"

"I have to stop Blizzard before he makes a big mistake." Chopper replied before running after Blizzard. Leaving Usopp and Franky alone and very confused.

XXX

When Chopper got back onto the deck, he couldn't see any sign of Blizzard.

"Where could he be?" he wondered

"Chopper?" the little reindeer turned around to see Nami approaching him.

"_Oh no._" he thought. "_I'm as good as dead._" Nami then knelt down so she was at his height.

"You haven't seen Luffy have you?" she asked.

"No. What do you want with him?"

"Blizzard came running into my room no more than a minute ago. From what I've heard he's been running around the ship all day. I wanted to tell Luffy to calm him down so I can finish the map I'm working on." Nami explained.

"Sorry. I haven't seen him." The navigator cocked her head to one side, her eye narrowed slightly.

"Chopper…what's going on?"

"Wha-Whatever do you mean?"

"If you know where Luffy is, tell me."

"I know nothing." Nami sighed.

"I tried to be nice." She said before pushing Chopper to the deck and holding him still.

"What are you gonna do?!" the reindeer panicked.

"Whatever I have to get some answers from you, my fluffy little friend." Nami smirked before she teasingly moved one of her fingers towards Chopper's foot. His eyes widened.

"No please. Not that anything but that." he begged but he suddenly burst into a fit of laughter as Nami began to tickle his feet.

"NAHAHAHAAAMIII! NOHOHOHOHOOO! PLEASE NO MORE! I BEG YOU! PLEAHEEHEEHEEASE!" Chopper laughed as he banged his little hooves on the deck.

"Then talk." Nami replied

"OK I GIVE! I GIHIHIHIIIVE! YOU WIN!" Nami immediately stopped tickling him allowing Chopper to catch his breath.

"Ok I'll talk. Luffy came to me this morning with a stomach ache. I told him to drink some of the green medicine on the top shelf. But there were two bottles so I told him to take the one on the left, but he drank the one on the right which was my remedy for shrinking warts and pimples and now he's two inches tall and running around the ship. I tried to stop him but he wanted to go and eat, since he could have more food while using up less of the ship's supplies. And what's worse, Sanji thought he was a rat and he's sent Blizzard out to eat him. I'm sorry. I should've just given Luffy the medicine myself. I didn't know he was stupid enough to not know left from right. Please don't beat me up." Chopper confessed as he pressed himself to the deck, his head bowed. But at that moment, he felt two arms pull him into a hug. He opened his eyes to Nami smiling at him as she pulled him close to her bosom.

"It's okay Chopper. I'm not mad at you. It's not your fault Luffy can't tell left from right once in a while. He was probably in too much pain to think properly."

"You…you mean you're not gonna beat me up?"

"Of course not." She said as she put Chopper down. "Now let's go find our tiny captain before he ends up Blizzard's dog treat.

"Okay. I just hope we're not too late." Chopper said as he and Nami went off to look for Luffy.

XXX

Luffy was currently in the library, hiding on one of the book shelves. Down below Blizzard was sitting there barking at him.

**Arf! Arf! Arf!**

"Blizzard I keep telling you it's me." He squeaked, but the wolf-dog continued to bark at him. Meanwhile outside, Robin had finished reading her book and was bringing it back to the library, when she heard barking coming from inside. She opened the door to see Blizzard sitting in front of the book case and barking at it.

"Blizzard? What are you barking at?" she asked. The wolf-dog turned to face her before pointing his snout up at the bookcase. Robin walked over to it before peering in and gasped.

"Luffy? Is that you?"

"_Luffy?!_" Blizzard thought in shock.

"Robin! Boy am I glad to see you!" Luffy squeaked as crawled out of the book shelf and into the archaeologist's open hand. She gently cupped him in her palm as she gazed at her tiny captain.

"What in the world happened to you Luffy?" she asked.

"It's a long story, but Blizzard's been chasing me all day. He thinks I'm a rat." Robin chuckled.

"That makes sense." She then put Luffy down who then felt Blizzard gently nudge him with his nose. Luffy turned to see his dog looking rather ashamed, but he only smiled and patted his nose.

"It's okay boy. You didn't know it was me. Sanji must have sent you after me." Blizzard whined slightly before giving Luffy a big wet lick, which much to his chagrin covered his entire body, but he endured it as best he could.

**SLUUURRP!**

"Heh-heh. I love you too buddy." He said before climbing onto Blizzard's back as the two went out of the library with Robin following them.

"Thanks a lot for saving me Robin!" Luffy said.

"Happy to help Captain." She smiled.

XXX

Back out on deck, Nami and Robin had been searching everywhere for Luffy and Blizzard but found nothing, but just then Franky and Usopp came out of the trap door.

"Hey guys. What's goin' on?" Usopp asked.

"We're looking for Luffy and Blizzard." Chopper replied.

"I thought so. What is this big mistake you wanted to prevent Snowy from making anyway?" Franky asked.

"Eating our Captain." Nami answered.

"O…kay." Usopp muttered before he looked up to see Blizzard and Robin. "Hey there he is."

"Blizzard!" Chopper cried as he ran towards his big brother. "Please tell me you haven't killed that rat." The wolf-dog smiled before lying down to show Chopper what was on his back which caused the doctor to gasp. There was Luffy sitting in Blizzard's fur, waving at him.

"Hi Chopper!"

"Luffy! Thank goodness you're okay! I thought Blizzard had eaten you."

"It's okay. Robin saved me." Luffy smiled. Usopp and Franky then got up close to look at their tiny captain.

"What the hell happened to you, Luffy?" Usopp asked astonished.

"You're no bigger than a mouse, Straw Hat." Franky said, equally astonished.

"Let's just say, my idiot boyfriend took the wrong medicine this morning." Nami chuckled as he picked Luffy up. "You've been on quite an adventure this morning haven't you?" She chuckled as she kissed Luffy gently on the top of his head and put him on her shoulder. But just at that moment, Sanji came out of the kitchen.

"Lunch will be ready in a few minutes everyone." He said until he noticed Blizzard. "Oh there you are Blizzard. Have you caught that rat yet?" The others giggled slightly.

"What's so funny?"

"Just come and see, Sanji." Chopper said. The cook raised his eyebrow before walking over the group to see Luffy sitting on Nami's shoulder.

"Luffy?"

"Hey Sanji."

"Wait…that was you who stole that meat?!" he roared.

"Yep."

"Why didn't you say anything?! I could've killed you, you idiot!"

"I tried to tell you but you just kept coming at me." Luffy replied, but just then he began to glow pink again. He quickly jumped down from Nami's shoulder as the group took a couple of steps back.

"Hey…I think I'm getting bigger again." and indeed he was. His arms and legs began to stretch out, his body expanded and his head grew until he was back to his normal size.

"Luffy, you're big again!" Chopper cheered as he hugged his leg.

"I guess the medicine wore off." Nami said, until just then the group saw Brook and Zoro approaching them, the both of them looking slightly confused.

"What did we miss?" Zoro asked. The others just laughed.

"What's so damn funny?!"

"Nothing. Let's just go have lunch." Chopper said.

"Good idea Chopper. I'm so hungry, I can't feel my stomach. Ah but then I don't have a stomach. Yohohohoho!" As the group made their way to the kitchen, Sanji turned to look at Blizzard.

"Sorry I put you through all this nonsense Blizzard. Tell you what; I'll make you those peanut butter cookies for your trouble." The wolf dog barked happily in response. Nami smiled before turning to face Luffy.

"You know Luffy, even though you didn't cause much trouble, because Blizzard was chasing you all morning, I couldn't concentrate on my map. You know what this means don't you?" Her captain's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no, please Nami, don't beat me up." He begged.

"Oh I'm not going to beat you up." She said before smiling evilly. "It's much much worse and it involves a rope and a feather." Luffy's eyes only widened further.

XXX

"NAHAHAHAMIII! PLEASE! STOP! IT TICKLES! I'M EXHAUSTED! CA-CAN'T WE TAKE A BREAK?!" Luffy squirmed violently on Nami's bed where she'd tied his legs and arms down while she gently stroking a feather against the soles of his feet and smiling all the way while also laughing herself.

"Not a chance mister." She chuckled. "Besides, you know you like it when I do this, don't you?" she added teasingly. Unbeknownst to the couple, outside Sanji had his ear glued to the door, comical tears running down his face.

"Damn you Luffy.~" he whined. "You cause all this trouble and Nami has sex with you. Why did she choose you over me?~" While he continued to mourn over what he thought was going on, Chopper Blizzard and Usopp were watching him and all were stifling their laughter.

"I guess even Sanji can be as dumb as Luffy sometimes." Usopp smirked.

"I'd say more naïve than dumb." Chopper giggled.

"_I say both._" Blizzard chuckled. Today had certainly been a small turn of events with big outcomes.

Hey everybody. Just for those who recognise the One Piece OC Blizzard the wolf-dog, I am goo friends with fellow fanfiction writer XfangheartX. She and I have given each other permission to use and share our own characters so I assure you i have her full permission to write Blizzard and any of her other characters into my work and she in turn with mine. Also a lot of the stories I will upload I wrote ages ago on deviantart (this one is actually my very first One Piece fic).

I hope you enjoy further chapters of this mini series and my other stories as well. please review.

Yellow Pikmin signing off


	2. the Return of Sogeking

It was a quiet afternoon on the Thousand Sunny. The ship was currently docked at a small peaceful island in the New World and the Straw-hats were currently in town gathering supplies. Blizzard meanwhile was guarding the ship and quite frankly he was very bored. No one had tried stealing or looting the ship except for a couple of teenage boys, who seemed intent to steal one of Nami's bikini tops. Stealing ladies lingerie; that's Brook's job. But despite the fun Blizzard had chasing the teens off, he was still bored.

"_This island just seems to calm to be home to any thieves or bounty hunters._" Blizzard thought to himself. "_Guess I'll go take a quick nap._" He then trotted over to the men's quarters and through the dog door, but just as he was about to sit down, he noticed that Usopp's locker was open slightly. Aside from Luffy and Chopper, Blizzard had never looked in any of the other lockers.

"_I wonder what secrets long-nose has hidden away?_" Blizzard smirked before walking over to the locker and peering in. It was a fairly tidy locker and it had a quite a horde of interesting belongings within it. The sniper's old goggles, a few headscarves and a cap, a couple of dials that hadn't been stored in the Usopp factory (Blizzard assumed they were for emergencies if someone broke into the boy's room, as silly as that sounded) and lastly was a heart shaped picture of Kaya with the words '_My Queen_' written in gold on the frame, which made Blizzard snicker a little.

"_He's not gonna hear the end of this one._" he chuckled, but just before he was about to go to his bed, something caught his eye. It was a flat wooden box that fitted neatly in the space of the locker and it had been cleverly hidden underneath a few shirts but just not enough to escape Blizzard's view.

"_I'll bet it's a diary. This is just getting juicier._" He grinned as he pulled the box out of the locker and flip it open with his nose. Unfortunately it wasn't a diary, but it did have something unexpected in it. It was Usopp's Sogeking mask. The cracks and the broken horn had been repaired and the yellow surface of the mask gleamed in the light.

"_Oh it's just that old mask that he wore in our fight against Perona back on Thriller Bark. Just who is this Sogeking guy?_" Blizzard wondered, until he suddenly heard the door click open and he froze. "_Please don't let that be-_"

"Hey Blizzard, what are you doing in here?"

"_Dammit._" Yes, of the people who had to walk in on him poking through Usopp's locker…it just had to be Usopp himself.

"Yeah, I guess you weren't expecting me back yet. Long story short I got what I needed and Nami thought you might be getting bored so I said I'd go back to keep you company, so here I am." Usopp said, before he noticed the box lying in front of Blizzard. A few seconds of awkward silence followed before the sniper dashed over to Blizzard and snatched the box away from him, slamming the lid shut.

"What the hell were you doing going through my locker?!" he shouted. "Do you have any idea what you've done?! My secret's at risk! Soon the whole crew's gonna know who Sogeking is! Do you not know anything about superheroes?!" Blizzard actually took a step back. It wasn't often people saw Usopp this angry. The only times he had (as far as Blizzard knew) were when he stood up for Luffy back in Alabasta after taking a baseball bat to the face and the second time being when he and Luffy had that fight back in Water 7, which the crew chose to not talk about anymore. He had to admit, he was a little bit scared as Usopp continued to glare at him. He then unzipped his shoulder bag and put the box inside it.

"You better not tell Luffy and Chopper about this, since they're the only ones who can understand you. If you do I'll feed you to my pop greens." He said before turning his back to Blizzard and leaving the room. The latter at first seemed confused, but that confusion then slowly turned to shame. At first, he only thought Usopp just used that mask as another excuse to impress people, but it turned out he really cared about his alter ego. It must have really helped him accept himself during the Enies Lobby affair.

XXX

After the rest of the crew returned to the ship, Sanji prepared dinner. During the meal, Usopp didn't say a word. He didn't tell any jokes to lighten the mood or tell any crazy stories to entertain the others. He only occasionally threw a glance at Blizzard who did his best to ignore him, but the glances just burned the wolf-dog like a hot poker. After dinner Luffy decided to pass the time by playing with Blizzard and Chopper, but to his and Chopper's surprise, the wolf-dog didn't feel like playing. He was still ashamed of getting on Usopp's bad side and it was actually rather confusing for him. With Nami it was just an angry outburst, followed by either a bop to the head or no peanut butter for a week but afterward the tension would die down and Nami would give Blizzard a hug and forgive him. But with Usopp, it was something else entirely, probably because he'd never been yelled at by Usopp before, it actually really hurt.

"Come on buddy, you love playing tag with us at this time, what's up?" Luffy asked as he petted Blizzard on the head. The latter then let out a long sad whine.

"_I got on Usopp's bad side this afternoon. And he hasn't forgiven me since. He won't even come near me._" Blizzard said.

"That doesn't sound like Usopp at all. I don't think you've ever made him angry. If anything he usually makes you angry when he accidently steps on your tail." Luffy said.

"What did you do to make him mad Blizzard?" Chopper asked. The latter was about to answer until he remembered the last words Usopp had said to him: '_You better not tell Luffy and Chopper about this, since they're the only ones who can understand you. If you do I'll feed you to my pop greens._'

"_He…he caught me snooping in his locker. I…saw something I shouldn't have._" Blizzard said.

"What, was it that picture of Kaya?" Luffy guessed.

"_You know about that?!_" Blizzard spluttered.

"We all know Usopp has a crush on Kaya. Is that why he's mad at you?" Chopper asked. Blizzard thought this through for a moment. Either he could tell them it wasn't the picture and end up letting the truth about the mask slip. Or he could lie and say it was the picture, but that might make Usopp look like a jerk, when really he had a good reason to be mad. He sighed. Guess it was his turn to tell a lie.

"_Yeah, it was the picture._"

"Well, I think Usopp may have been a bit harsh on you, just for some silly picture of his crush." Luffy snorted.

"Tell you what, we'll go talk to him and ask him to forgive you. Don't' worry big brother, everything's going to be fine." Chopper said as he gave Blizzard a hug. The wolf dog responded by giving the reindeer a lick on the cheek. He really did have great friends.

XXX

Usopp was currently down in the factory tending to his pop green farm. He opened one of the flower buds before picking out the seeds and storing them in one of his crates. But just then he heard footsteps approaching him.

"Who's there?" he asked before he saw Luffy and Chopper come into full view. "Oh hey guys, what's up?"

"Usopp, we need to talk to you…about Blizzard." Luffy said. The sniper's eyes widened a little before he frowned and went back to his work.

"What about him?"

"He told us you've been mad at him for looking at something in your locker." Chopper said. Usopp stopped picking seeds when he heard the last part of the sentence.

"_That fleabag had better not have told them._" He thought. "What was it he said he saw?"

"You know what it was. That picture you have of Kaya." Luffy said.

"Tha…That's what he saw?" Usopp murmured in surprise. "_So he didn't tell them?_" he then thought.

"Yes and he's really upset about how you've been ignoring him. He feels really bad about what he did and he just wants you to forgive him. You can't hold a grudge against him over a picture. Just give him a break." Chopper said.

"I'll…I'll talk to him in a minute." Usopp muttered which caused Luffy and Chopper to smile at him.

"Thanks Usopp. That means a lot to us." Luffy said before he and Chopper took their leave.

"_Maybe I am too attached to that mask. I have grown very strong over the two years and I never needed Sogeking to help me. Maybe it's time…I move on._" Usopp thought to himself.  
XXX

Blizzard lay quietly on the grassy deck of the ship, feeling depressed, until he turned to see Usopp approaching him.

"Hey." He murmured, before sitting down beside the wolf-dog. "You must be feeling pretty rotten huh?"

"_Tell me something I don't know._" Blizzard thought.

"Look, Blizzard I'm sorry I yelled at you like that and I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. It may sound silly to you, but that mask really means a lot to me. And I don't just mean like a possession. That mask helped me realise how I was never a burden to the crew and just how much they all loved me. If I'd never put that mask on, I'd probably be back in my old home village telling lies and pretending to be something I wasn't again. But now after these two years, I've learned to stand up for myself and protect the others, as well as become stronger all together. What I'm trying to say is…I forgive you Blizzard. You're my family and…I love you man."

**AWWOOOOOOOOO~!**

Blizzard howled happily before tackling Usopp to the ground licking his face joyfully.

**Slurp! Slurp! Slurp!**

"He-Hey! Ha-ha-ha come on! Get off me ya mangy mutt! That tickles! I get it! You're happy!" Usopp laughed as he managed to push Blizzard off him. "And thanks for not telling Luffy and Chopper what you saw." Blizzard barked happily but as the two began to make their way to the aquarium bar, they saw the rest of the crew standing there looking at them. While Luffy and Chopper were smiling proudly, Nami had a cute smile on her face that seemed to say 'Aww!~' Sanji and Zoro on the other hand were both grinning teasingly, while Robin and Brook were both smiling. Franky however was sobbing loudly.

"Oh man! That's some real bro love right there! Shut up I'm not crying!" the cyborg wailed. Usopp only sighed before smiling at Blizzard.

"I don't know if I'll ever hear the end of this."

**BARK! BARK!**

XXX

The next morning, Blizzard woke up with a yawn before walking out onto the deck to see Usopp walking down the gang plank of the ship.

**Arf! Arf!**

"Oh morning Blizzard. Just going into town. Wanna come along?" Usopp asked. The wolf dog responded by trotting over to him. "Alright then let's go." Usopp said before the two friends made their way into the town.

"In case you're wondering where I'm going..." Usopp began. "I'm planning on giving the mask to an antique shop. I think it's time I moved on from this childish superhero ego. I'm a man now after all. I don't need Sogeking anymore."

XXX

As Usopp and Blizzard continued through the reasonably empty streets (since it was still a little early in the morning and not many people were up yet) they decided to take a shortcut through one of the alleys which led to the shop, but before they could take another step a net suddenly sprang up from under Blizzard, trapping him in it.

"BLIZZARD!" Usopp cried but just then two middle aged men jumped down into the alley.

"I told you it would work, Dan. Now we've got White Wolf." One of the men said.

"Too right and now his bounty will be all ours." The one named Dan said as he drew out a dagger form his pocket.

"_So much for thinking there were no bounty hunters on this island._" Blizzard thought as he tried to break free, but the net began to stick to his fur entangling him even more.

"Surprised? That net's made from a special sticky rope that we invented." Dan said.

"You let my friend go right now!" Usopp shouted going the bounty hunter's attention.

"And who the hell are you Pinocchio?" The first hunter said.

"Who gives a damn about him Greg? It's White Wolf we want." Dan said.

"Put him down now or I'll…" Usopp began.

"You'll what? Tell on us? What's a little kid like you gonna do to stop a pair of men like us? Now get lost or we'll slit your throat too." Greg said. As Usopp watched din horror as the hunters began to advance towards the tangled Blizzard he began to panic. He'd left his slingshot back on the ship and all he had in his bag were a couple of Humandrakes, a smoke bomb, a few pebbles a rubber band and…his mask.

"_You can do it Usopp. These thugs are pushovers._" A voice said in the sniper's head.

"_Sogeking?_" Usopp replied in his mind.

"_I'm a part of your soul Usopp. The part that comes to you when you are truly in need. Together we're unstoppable. Put me on and let's work together to save Blizzard._" Sogeking said. Usopp stared for a few second before grinning. But just then he pointed to the end of the alley.

"Look out! It's the marines!" he shouted.

"WHAT?! WHERE?!" Dan and Greg shouted but at that moment Usopp threw his smoke bomb to the ground causing a cloud of smoke to fill the alley.

"What the hell was that?! What did that kid do?!" Dan shouted in frustration.

"Step away from my friend now you cockroaches, or feel my wrath!" a slightly deeper voice sounded.

"Who's there?!" the hunters shouted but as the smoke cleared, a figure was standing there. He was donned in a flowing red cape and upon on his face was yellow mask with three points and a long nose.

"My name is…SOGEKING!"  
(A.N.- Cue Sogeking theme fandub by MidiGuyFDdp21)

"Who the hell is this guy? Wasn't that long nosed kid here a second ago?" Dan asked.

**~On the isle where they shoot sharp is the place where I was born.~  
~Hundred shots. A hundred hits. Lu-lu-la-la-lu.~**

"_Are these idiots really that dumb?!" Blizzard thought. "They have no idea that it's Usopp?_"

"Wait I recognise that guy. He's Sogeking; one of the Straw-hats." Greg said.

"Well that just means more money for us. Get him!"

**~Even on a mouse's eye I lock on!~  
~Even right on your heart…LOCK ON!~**

But as the hunters drew closer to Sogeking he placed the rubber band onto two of his fingers, turning his hand into a slingshot.

"Certain death: pebble star!" he shouted as he launched one of the pebbles from his hand at Dan, hitting him right between the eyes. He then launched a second pebble at Greg also knocking him to the ground.

**~Hailing from Sharpshooter island is none other than I.~  
~Lu-lu-lu, lu-lu-la-la.~  
~Better run and hide!~**

As the hunters hit the ground long root suddenly sprouted from the earth before binding their hands and feet.

"What's with these plants?!" Dan panicked.

"Green star: Humandrake." Sogeking stated before walking over to the two bound bounty hunters. As he did he reached into his shoulder bag and took out a large hammer.

"And one more thing. If you mess with a Straw-hat…you mess with Sogeking!" the sniper king shouted before raising the hammer above his head.

"MERCY!~" Dan and Greg both shouted together.

"SOGE-HAMMER!" Sogeking shouted as he brought down his weapon.

**BA-KONK!  
BA-KONK!**

**~Sogege Soge Soge.~  
~Sogeking is here!~**

Both bounty hunters fell unconscious a large lump on both of their heads. Sogeking then ran over to Blizzard and using the hunter's dagger cut the wolf-dog loose.

"Blizzard are you OK?" Usopp said as he pulled off his mask. Blizzard responded by pouncing on Usopp and licking his face again.

**Slurp! Slurp!**

"Okay! Okay! Ha-ha! You're welcome buddy!" Usopp laughed before getting out from under Blizzard.

"Looks like I really did a number on those slime balls and I didn't even break a sweat." The sniper said proudly. "Anyway we should get going. The shop's just up ahead." But as he was about to reach out for the mask Blizzard picked it up in his mouth and moved a few steps away.

"Blizzard what are you doing? I need to turn that mask in" Usopp asked but he wolf dog shook his head before putting the mask down and pushing towards Usopp.

"You…You're saying I should keep it?"

"_Sogeking isn't a burden Usopp. He's your friend. Our friend and he'll always be there to help us when we need him._" Blizzard thought.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe Sogeking will always be a part of me. Thanks pal." Usopp said as if he'd read Blizzard's mind before he picked up the mask and put it back in his shoulder bag, along with his red cloak. As the two friends began to make their way back to the Sunny, Usopp only had one thing to say.

"We'll certainly have a great bedtime story for Chopper tonight." He grinned.

**AROOOOOOO~!** Blizzard howled resulting in Usopp laughing and giving a proud howl of his own.

The End


	3. Luffy and Nami's Anniversary

A.N.(takes place after Xfangheartx's oneshot 'What would I do without you?' I suggest you read it prior) Post-time skip

It's Luffy and Nami's anniversary, but neither can think of what to get the other. What can the crew do to help?

* * *

It was a quiet late afternoon on the Thousand Sunny. While the crew were going about doing their usual things, whether it be cooking, weight-lifting, drawing maps or playing music, the only one who wasn't doing anything was Luffy. For the past few hours he'd been staying in the men's quarters lying on his bunk, but luckily he wasn't depressed or in the middle of a time out, but he was actually deep in thought. A very special day was drawing near and it involved himself and his drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend and Navigator. That's right; Luffy and Nami's anniversary was coming up and as of now, the captain was trying to think of what to do for her. However, the reason he was so deep in thought was because while this would be the third year they've been together, it would actually be the first anniversary they'll have spent together, since they spent their first two anniversaries separated and because of that, Luffy wanted to make this one extra special to make up for the first two that never happened. As he lay on his back his face fixed in a determined expression, he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." the door opened to reveal Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard. "Oh hey guys, what's up?"

"Luffy, you've been in here all day." Usopp said.

"That's never a good sign Luffy. Is there something wrong?" Chopper asked slightly worried.

"_We hope you don't start acting like an asshole again when you were depressed._" Blizzard barked.

"No guys, I'm not depressed." Luffy said.

"Then why've you been in here all day?" Usopp asked. Luffy sat up in his bed.

"Close the door." He whispered. Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard glanced at each-other before shutting the door and walking over to their captain.

"Guys, the reason I've been in here…is because I've been thinking-"

"YOU'VE BEEN THINKING?!" Usopp squawked.

"AAAAAHH! It's the end of the world!" Chopper panicked.

"_Next thing you know, Franky's gonna start putting on pants!_" Blizzard freaked.

"Shut up all of you! That isn't funny!" Luffy scowled.

"Yes it is." Usopp smirked back.

"I've been thinking about what to do for Nami." Luffy concluded his sentence.

"Do what?" Chopper asked.

"Our anniversary is the day after tomorrow and I'm trying to think of what to do for her." Luffy explained.

"So just buy her some nice jewellery." Usopp suggested.

"Or you could pick her some flowers." Chopper recommended.

"_I'm sure she'll be happy with whatever you get her._" Blizzard said.

"No, no, no. I want to make it very special…because this'll be the first anniversary we've actually spent together." Luffy said.

"But you and Nami have been together for three…oh, I get it." Usopp realized.

"What do you mean?" Chopper wondered.

"_Even though they've technically been together for three years, this'll be the first time they actually celebrated it._" Blizzard explained.

"Oh, because of Kuma." Chopper realized as well.

"Yeah, that's right, which is why I want to make it extra special for her. She deserves the best and I want to show her how much I love her." Luffy smiled as he thought about her, before his smile dropped. "But I can't think of anything better than what you guys suggested."

"Don't' worry Luffy, we'll help you." Chopper said.

"You will?"

"Sure we will. We're really happy for you two and we want you to have the best anniversary ever." Usopp grinned. "But first, we need some help from someone who knows what women love."

XXX

Sanji was starting to prepare dinner before he heard the door click and turned to see Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard.

"No snacks guys. Dinner will be in just a couple of hours." He said.

"No Sanji, we want to talk to you." Usopp said.

"About what?"

"It's Luffy and Nami's anniversary the day after tomorrow and he wants to make it special for her cause it'll be the first time they've celebrated it, but he can't think of anything better than flowers or jewellery. We we're wondering if you might have any ideas, since you're the lady's-man and all." Chopper explained. Sanji raised his eyebrow for a moment before taking a drag on his cigarette and walking over to the group and he grinned.

"You came to the right guy."

XXX

"Wow, this could be harder than it thought." Sanji muttered as he rubbed his head. He, along with Luffy and the others had been discussing what they could do for Nami but unfortunately they hadn't been able to come up with something that was 'special' enough for Luffy.

"Of course I could always make a romantic dinner for the two of you, but I can't think of anything better than that. It's what usually does the trick for a happy couple."

"You're right Sanji and you always do a great job, but I just feel like it has to be more than that." Luffy said until after a few minutes he leapt to his feet.

"I've got it!"

"WHAT?!" Usopp, Chopper, Blizzard and Sanji jumped at Luffy's sudden outburst.

"What I need is something from everyone." Luffy grinned.

"What do you mean by that?" Sanji asked.

"Wait here; I'm gonna go get the others." Luffy said before dashing out of the kitchen.

"What does he mean?" Chopper asked.

"_I don't know, but I think it's something big._" Blizzard muttered, before Luffy returned with Zoro, Robin, Franky and Brook.

"Are you gonna tell us what's going on or what?" Zoro grumbled.

"Just sit down guys, I'll explain everything." Luffy said.

XXX

"Well I think that's really thoughtful about how much you want to make Nami happy, Luffy." Robin smiled.

"You must really love her that much Straw-hat~!" Franky wailed as he wiped his eyes.

"But what is it you mean about getting something from everyone?" Brook asked.

"Each of you has your own talent. And I've just realized I can somehow use that talent to make my gift for Nami special enough." Luffy said. "For example, Sanji could cook us a romantic meal, while Brook could play some music to create atmosphere."

"Ah, I get it now. That's a great idea." Sanji smiled.

"I'd be honoured to play music at your special day Luffy." Brook said happily.

"So what can the rest of us do?" Usopp asked.

"Well Usopp, you know how to make fireworks." Luffy suggested.

"Hey you're right! I do! I completely forgot! It's been years since I made fireworks. This is gonna be great!" the sniper grinned.

"So what about me Luffy?" Chopper pleaded.

"I was thinking that you and Robin could make decorations. Like a banner or some streamers. I know you're creative Chopper and I also know Robin's great at setting up decorations with her flower powers." Luffy explained.

"I'd be glad to help Captain." Robin smiled.

"So what about us?" Zoro asked with Franky sitting next to him.

"Well, I do have an idea. Zoro…have you ever carved anything with your swords before?"

"I think I carved images on trees sometimes when I was younger, but that's about it."

"Well…do you think you could carve a sculpture of me and Nami out of wood? Franky could design it and you could carve it." Both the cyborg and the swordsman stared a little surprised.

"Well I've never sculpted before, but I'll give it my best shot." Zoro replied.

"And don't you worry, Luffy. I'll design the most SUPER image for your sculpture ever. You can count on me." Franky said with a thumbs up.

"I just hope I'm not giving you guys too much to handle. I feel like I'm being a bit selfish." Luffy said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Hey don't worry Captain. We're happy to help." Usopp grinned.

"You and Nami's relationship means a lot to all of us." Sanji smiled.

"We'd probably all be miserable if you two weren't together. Trust me on that." Robin smiled.

"Guys…you're the greatest cre- no. You're the greatest family I could ever have!" Luffy said joyfully before stretching his arms out and pulling all of them into a group hug.

"And you're the best Captain we could ever have." Chopper smiled as he hugged Luffy back.

"Now could you put us down?" Zoro asked as Luffy let them go.

"But there's just one thing. What are _you_ going to do for her?" Sanji asked.

"That's easy. I'm going to take Nami out for the day so you guys have plenty of time to get everything ready. I want it to be a surprise for her so that when we get back in the evening, everything will be ready to go." Luffy explained.

"Sounds good to me." Usopp said.

"Well thanks a lot guys. I'll never forget this." Luffy grinned before taking his leave.

"He really does love her, doesn't he?" Chopper said.

"_He sure does little bro. He sure does._" Blizzard agreed.

"I'm surprised you actually accepted Nami not being with you, dartboard." Zoro said.

"Shut up moss-head! I got over Nami months ago, her being happy is enough for me and I'll do anything to help Luffy keep her that way." Sanji snapped back.

"This is certainly going to be a very romantic anniversary." Robin said.

"The thought of those two together just makes my heart fly. Ah, but then I don't have a heart. Yohohohoho~!" Brook laughed.

XXX

The next morning Robin was out on deck watering her flower garden until she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around to see Nami standing there.

"Oh hello Nami. What can I do for you?" she asked.

"Um, Robin. Could I speak to you…in private?" Robin looked inquisitively at her before the two of them went to the woman's quarters and locked the door so they wouldn't be disturbed.

"So what do you want to talk to me about?" Robin asked.

"I need help with something. You see…it's me and Luffy's anniversary tomorrow and…I know we've been together for three years, but this'll be the first time we'll have actually spent it together." Robin couldn't believe her ears; Nami was having the same problem as Luffy.

"Let me guess. You want to make it special for him to make up for not being with him for the first two years?"

"…Yeah. How did you guess?" Nami asked astonished.

"Hm-hm-hm. It was pretty easy to figure out." Robin chuckled.

"I guess you can read me like a book. No pun intended." Nami grinned sheepishly before her face became serious again. "But I don't want to get Luffy something simple. I want it to be perfect for the both of us and for it to be one of our happiest memories."

"Well, what I think you need…is something from everyone." Robin said.

"What do you mean?" Nami asked.

"Just wait. I'll be back in a minute." Robin said before leaving the room and returning with the rest of the crew a few minutes later. As they saw Nami, the rest of the group's eyes widened as they could immediately tell what was about to happen.

"Um, heh-heh, Nami? Could you give us a few minutes alone please?" Usopp asked. Nami looked at Usopp, puzzled before getting up and leaving, before Franky shut the door.

"What the hell do we do now?" Usopp whispered loudly.

"We help her of course. It's just as much about Nami as it is about Luffy." Sanji whispered back so that Nami wouldn't hear them from outside.

"No, no. I mean what are we going to do for her. Luffy gave us the best idea. How the hell are we supposed to top a romantic meal with decorations, music, fireworks and a wooden sculpture of him and Nami?" Usopp explained.

"_He's right. It's gonna be difficult to do better or even as good as that._" Blizzard agreed.

"Plus if Nami suggests something that's in Luffy's plan and we say no, then we may ruin the surprise." Brook added.

"But what can we do?" Chopper asked.

"Well first let's hear Nami out and see what we can come up with. I'm sure we can think of something as equally romantic as what Luffy's going to give her." Sanji suggested.

"Well let's just hope we can." Zoro mumbled before the group let Nami back in.

"Okay Nami, what can you think of that Luffy might like?" Robin asked.

"Well all I can think of is meat, but that's not nearly enough for him. He deserves far better than that. That's why I wanted to ask you guys for suggestions." Nami explained.

"Well what is it you and Luffy enjoy most together?" Robin asked.

"Well…I like talking with him, keeping him company, giving him tummy rubs, even when he hasn't got a sore stomach and he also likes spending the night with me. It's just really nice having him hug me as we fall asleep. It's shows how gentle he really is." But not long after she'd mentioned this, Usopp had an idea.

"I've got it: a love nest!" he spoke up.

"What's a love nest?" Chopper asked.

"It's a romantic house or room designed for couples." Robin explained.

"There's an old storeroom in part of the ship that we don't use anymore. We could transform into a special room just for you and Luffy. " Usopp explained. "Imagine it; a nice big bed with plenty of room for you both. A window so you can lookout to the sparkling see on a starry night. A warm fireplace and rose petals on the bed." He said poetically.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, but our anniversary's tomorrow. How can you transform an entire room that quickly?" Nami asked.

"Trust us Nami, we've got our ways. And we won't say a word of it to Luffy. You just keep him busy for the day so he won't find out."

"Guys, I can't thank you enough. I love you all so much~!" Nami said joyfully as she gave each of them a hug (much to Sanji's inner joy.) before she took her leave.

"You're pretty good with plans Usopp." Zoro complimented.

"Thanks, but there's just one problem. How can we be sure that we'll have everything ready for them by the time they get back after their day together?" Usopp asked.

"Oh man you're right. If they walk in on us the surprise will be ruined." Sanji said.

"So what do we do?" Brook asked.

"Don't worry. Lady and Gentlemen! I have an idea!" Usopp grinned proudly.

XXX

As Luffy woke up the next morning, he found that he was the only one in the room, but as he sat up he jumped when he saw Nami sitting at the foot of the bunk, smiling at him.

"Morning." She giggled.

"Nami, you startled me." Luffy said before getting out of his bunk and pecking her on the cheek, which she returned. "Happy anniversary, beautiful." He smiled warmly.

"Same for you, handsome." Nami smiled back before the two shared a quick kiss.

"Now first what I'm gonna do, is give you the best day out. We can do whatever you want. Even clothes shopping." Luffy said before Nami gasped.

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Well then, I want do what you want as well. This day's about you too, remember?"

"Yeah, now come on let's go." Luffy said as he took Nami's hand and led her out of the men's quarters.

"By the way, do you know where the rest of the guys are?" Luffy asked.

"They're pretty busy today. We should let them get on with their work." Nami said, but just as they were about to leave they heard a bark from behind them.

**Arf! Arf!**

The two of them turned to see Blizzard wagging his tail.

"Hi buddy. Me and Nami are heading out for the day so we'll see you later." Luffy said but before they could take another step, Blizzard ran in front of them letting out a small whine.

"Aww~! Look Luffy, he wants to come with us." Nami cooed.

"But, I thought this was just going to be our day." Luffy said.

"I don't mind if Blizzard comes along. There's a park on this island, so we'll be able to have plenty of fun with him." Nami suggested.

"Yeah, you're right. Ok Blizzard, you can come along." Luffy said before Blizzard jumped up at him and licked his face. "Okay! Okay! Ha-ha! Down boy!" Luffy laughed as Blizzard lay down so Luffy and Nami could climb onto his back. "Let's ride, boy!"

**AROOOOOOOO!** Blizzard howled as he charged off from the ship at full speed, with Luffy riding on his back and Nami with her arms wrapped around Luffy's waist.

"_Sweet. The plan's working. Looks like it's all up to me now._" Blizzard thought with a grin remembering the conversation he along with the others had had last night.

_~flashback~_

"What we need to do is find a way to keep both Nami and Luffy away from the ship until we have everything ready." Usopp said. "So what we need is a spy to let us know when they'll be coming back." Everyone thought this over until Blizzard got to his feet.

**Arf! Arf! Arf!**

"He said 'Let me do it Usopp'" Chopper translated.

"You think you can spy on them for us?" Sanji asked.

"'Better. I can keep them occupied. If I go along with them, I can play with them and keep them busy while still spying on them and you know how much they both enjoy riding me, so when we do begin to come back, I'll take a long route. You guys'll have plenty of time.'" Chopper translated.

"Snowy you're a genius!" Franky cheered.

"Here take this." Usopp said as he pulled a baby transponder snail out of his pocket and placed inside Blizzard's scarf. "We can keep in contact with it, but you'll have to be the one to call us. If we ring you, you'll be busted, so call us when Luffy and Nami are beginning to head back." Blizzard responded by moving his pricked ear into a salute.

_~flashback end~_

As Luffy and Nami rode through the small village on Blizzard's back, both of them were enjoying the atmosphere.

"It's strange. We haven't been to a single shop yet, and yet I'm still really enjoying myself." Luffy grinned which caused Nami to giggle.

"Well of course you are silly. Cause this is our special day. You're just really excited about what we're gonna do."

"Yeah. Hey check out that souvenir shop. Can we go there first?" Luffy asked.

"Sure. Plus there's a mapping shop next door. This is one nice little village." Nami smiled.

XXX

Meanwhile back at the ship, Usopp and Franky were hard at work on building the love nest. So far they'd completed the bed and were currently painting the walls deep shades of blue.

"It'll be like their under the sea." Usopp said dreamily as he painted a pair of angel fish kissing. One had long orange fins and a blue body, while the other had black fins and a red body, as well as a tiny straw hat.

"I've never seen you this poetic Usopp." Franky said as he sprayed one of the walls with blue paint.

"It's just thinking about them makes me think of Kaya. I bet she's well on her way to becoming a doctor. No, I bet she's already one."

"In that case, she has to meet Chopper some time." Franky grinned.

XXX

Meanwhile on deck, Zoro was carefully working on his wooden sculpture while Brook was working on some romantic music on his violin to play for Luffy and Nami.

"That sounds really nice Brook. You're doing a good job." Zoro complimented.

"Yohohoho why thank you. Your sculpture's coming on nicely too, I must say." Brook replied before sighing. "I know I say this all the time, but those two being together is just wonderful. It inspires my music."

"That's really touching Brook. If you didn't have a habit of asking women to show you their panties, you'd probably get all the girls." Zoro smirked.

"I'll take that as a compliment." The skeleton replied. Nearby, Chopper was lying down on the deck painting the words 'Happy Anniversary Nami My Love' on a big banner. Plus he'd stamped hoof prints all over it, as well as several hearts and a few tangerines.

"How does it look Robin?" he asked. The archaeologist (who was in the middle of hanging a string of lanterns) turned her head and smiled at the little reindeer.

"It's just beautiful, Chopper. You're a wonderful artist."

"Oh cut it out~! That won't make me happy~!" Chopper giggled as he did a little head spin and wiggled his arms.

"I hope Luffy and Nami are having a good time." Robin said.

"I'm sure they are. They always enjoy each other's company." Chopper replied.

XXX

As the day went by, Luffy and Nami had a wonderful time together. They visited plenty of shops, both ones they liked and disliked (Nami's being the pet shop because she couldn't stand watching Luffy hold one of the tarantulas and Luffy's being the clothes shop cause he was so bored). After shopping, they stopped by one of the restaurants for lunch, Luffy remembered to get Blizzard a doggy bag. And now, the two of them were in a large park, dotted with trees. Luffy was currently playing fetch with Blizzard, while Nami was relaxing against a tree, just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the park. She smiled as she saw her boyfriend run off with Blizzard.

"I can't wait to see the look on Luffy's face when I show him our lovely little love nest. In fact I can't wait to see how I'll react either, since I have no idea how Usopp and Franky are going to make it look." She thought to herself. But as she was about to doze off, she felt a shadow loom over her. She looked up and gasped to see a rather large man standing in front of her. It didn't take a genius to see that he was a bounty hunter due to the fact that he had a fair amount of scars and a large cutlass attached to his belt, a mad smile on his face.

"It's nice to meet you 'Cat burglar.'" He grinned.

"It's nice to know that you recognise me. Most men don't when they try to take my head. They just try and force me tell them where Luffy is. I take it that's what you want?"

"Oh no." the hunter replied. "I have no interest in Straw-hat."

"You don't?" Nami asked, a little surprised.

"No. You see, I've always admired you as a woman. I've been determined to track you down, so I could make you mine."

"Ha. Well sorry, I belong to my Captain and besides, I have no interest in someone like you."

"I never said you had a choice." The hunter said as he drew his cutlass and pointed it at her. "Besides, it's not like a weak little house-wife like you could run away. Women are nothing but maids and prostitutes. That's all they're worth and you're no different. Now you're gonna come along with me, or this world's gonna be one beautiful wench down."

"Well, ha-ha, I'd like to see you try, jackass." Nami sneered. But as the hunter was about to strike her he suddenly froze when he heard a ferocious growl. He turned to see Luffy and Blizzard standing there, the latter snarling fiercely, with saliva dripping from his maw and the former shooting a piercing glare, his fists clenched and his knuckles white and hard.

"Get the hell away from my future wife, you son of a bitch." Luffy whispered, his voice thick with venom.

"And what are you gonna do about it?" the Hunter said mockingly.

"Oh I'm not going to do anything…but she is." Luffy smirked. The hunter turned his head only for it to meet the end of Nami's clima-tact. Her tiny fuse had been lit and now she was about to explode. Luffy and Blizzard took a safe step backwards.

"If there's one thing I hate as much as that bastard Arlong," Nami hissed with absolute fury. "it's filthy sexist, rats like you. WELL YOU JUST CROSSED THE WRONG LADY YOU BASTARD!" she roared before swinging the clima-tact into a rather awkward part of the hunter's body.

**KRRRZZZZT!** The hunter then fell to the ground, his body charred and smoking, but surprisingly he opened his eyes only to see Blizzard staring right at him.

"_Have a nice nap, asshole. Eye of the Hellhound!_" Blizzard roared in thought as his pupil expanded. The hunter then let out a strangled gasp before he fainted, his mouth foaming. Nami then walked over to the wolf-dog and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Good boy." She smiled as she scratched his chin causing Blizzard to thump his leg rapidly against the ground.

"You were pretty great yourself Nami. You're so hot, when you kick ass." Luffy grinned.

"Thanks babe." Nami smiled as she pecked Luffy on the cheek as well. "Now what do you say we go home. The sun's setting."

"Yeah I'd like to go home too." Luffy agreed.

"_Uh-oh. Looks like I'm out of time._" Blizzard thought as he began to walk off.

"Where you goin' buddy?" Luffy asked. Blizzard replied by a small whine.

"_I just got to take a leak, Luffy._" He said.

"Okay, just be quick." Luffy replied as Blizzard continued a few steps ahead before going behind a tree and taking out the baby transponder snail form his scarf and flipping open the top with his nose.

"**Hello?**" the snail spoke in Chopper's voice.

"_Hey little bro it's me._"

"**Oh hi Blizzard. How's your day been?**"

"_Very good. We went shopping, played fetch in the park. And then Nami beat up this sexist bounty hunter. She swung her clima-tact right in his nuts._"

"**Yikes. Well we have good news Blizzard. We're all done with the preparations. Luffy and Nami can come back now.**"

"_Well the timing couldn't be better. We're leaving right now. See you back at the Sunny little bro._"

"**You too big brother.**" Chopper said before the snail fell asleep. Blizzard then put it back in his scarf and went over to meet Luffy and Nami who then climbed onto his back.

"Let's ride." Luffy said.

**AROOOOOOOO!**

XXX

As the Sunny became visible over the horizon, Luffy grinned.

"Nami. I want you to close your eyes. I have a surprise for you." Nami giggled before closing them. As she did she felt Blizzard come to a stop and lye down before Luffy helped her off and began to lead her up the gang plank.

"Now can I open them?"

"Alright…now." As Nami opened her eyes, she gasped. Sitting in the centre of the deck was a table with a red cloth and two chairs. Sanji was standing next to it with a bottle of wine in his hand and on the other side was Brook with his violin in hand. Paper lanterns had been hung between the masts as well as the large banner that Chopper had painted. And nearby, was a small pile of boxes, tubes and spheres (Usopp's fireworks) and a large wooden statue of her and Luffy with their arms wrapped around each other and their foreheads pressed together. All of the Straw-hats, including Luffy, smiled.

"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!" they all cheered.

"Guys…" Nami whispered as he eyes began to tear up.

"Surprised aren't you. I knew you would be." Luffy grinned as he slung his arm around her.

"It was all Luffy's idea." Chopper beamed.

"You mean you set all this up while we were out?" Nami asked.

"Yep, plus Blizzard kept an eye on you to make sure you didn't get back early." Usopp said.

"Is that true Blizzard?" Luffy asked. The wolf dog smirked before dropping the baby transponder snail out of his scarf.

"Oh you rascal." Nami laughed as she pulled the wolf-dog into a hug who then wagged his tail happily. "Oh Luffy…everyone. I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. Your smile is all the thanks we need." Chopper grinned proudly.

"Now, Sir, Madame. Would you care to take your seats?" Sanji asked with a bow.

"That'd be wonderful." Nami smiled as she and Luffy sat down together.

"Brook." Luffy signaled.

"Gladly." The skeleton replied before he began to play a slow romantic melody on his violin. As Luffy and Nami enjoyed their meal together, the rest of the crew watched happily as their captain and navigator enjoyed each others company. And after they'd finished, Usopp then sat down beside the pile of strangely shaped boxes and lit a match.

"It's ShowTime." He snickered before lighting the fuse

**FWEEEEEEEE~! BOOM!** The fireworks flew off one by one before exploding into bursts of colourful flower like patterns painting the dark sky with every colour: red, green, yellow, blue, purple, orange and many more. Even some that contained all of the colours in one burst.

"So beautiful~!" Nami gasped and she and Luffy held hands as they watched. Chopper was sitting on Blizzard's back and clapping his little hooves together. Brook, Sanji, Franky and Usopp were also watching joyfully, while Robin was gently resting her head on Zoro's shoulder, who was blushing slightly, but enjoying the fireworks nonetheless. After the show was over, Nami gave every one of the crew a hug.

"I can't thank you enough. You're all wonderful. This had been the best day of my life." She cried happily.

"We're just glad you enjoyed yourself. Especially me." Luffy said as he happily kissed Nami. "All I needed was something from everyone."

"So that's where that phrase came from." Nami realized until she remembered what she was going to give Luffy.

"Usopp, Franky, is it-"

"It's ready Sis and I can guarantee you it's SUPER romantic." Franky grinned.

"What's ready?" Luffy asked, but Nami didn't answer.

"Thank you so much for everything guys, but Luffy and I are feeling a little tired, so we're off to bed. Goodnight."

"GOODNIGHT." The Straw-hats replied as Nami led Luffy down through one of the trapdoors in the women's quarters which led to the storage rooms, but one of the doors had been painted red with Luffy and Nami's names written in gold on it.

"I've never seen this room before." Luffy said but before he could touch the doorknob, Nami stood in front of him.

"I have a surprise for you too Luffy. So wait out here till I tell you to come in." Luffy nodded before Nami quickly entered the room and shut the door. Luffy waited patiently for about five minutes until he heard Nami's voice from the other side of the door.

"Come in Luffy~" she sang. The captain slowly put his hand on the doorknob and turned it before the door swung open and he gasped at the sight that now met his eyes. The room was a deep shade of blue, with several differently shaped mirrors on the walls and many pictures of Luffy, Nami and the rest of the crew as well as photos of their journeys in Alabasta, Sabaody and Fishman Island. The blue walls had also been painted with many sea creatures including a pair of kissing Angel fish that resembled him and Nami. But what had really drawn Luffy's gaze was the large bed and lying on it was Nami, dressed in a red bra and panties and she was also wearing red lipstick. She slowly traced her finger in circles on the duvet before beckoning Luffy to her.

"Well my Pirate King? Come here and give your Queen a night to remember.~" she said seductively as she winked at him. All Luffy could do was grin teasingly and throw his hat to her which she caught and placed on her orange hair before Luffy slowly walked in and kicked the door shut behind himself.

XXX

Both Luffy and Nami lay naked under the bed covers, panting and both wearing big smiles. Plus Luffy's face was now stained with red kiss marks from Nami's lipstick and he was casually twirling his hat around his finger.

"Wow~! That…was…amazing." Nami beamed.

"Yeah, it was even better than the first time we did it. You've improved." Luffy chuckled.

"So have you babe." Nami smile before leaning in and kissing his cheek leaving another mark behind. "This has been the best anniversary of my whole life. I'm actually kind of glad we missed the first two now, cause if we hadn't they would have been nowhere near as good as this one."

"You're right. Although I could never have pulled it off without the guys. They're all so great. They're the best family in the world and I'm so glad I met them."

"And I'm so glad I met you." Nami said as she gently pulled Luffy in an embrace, which he returned. "I love you so much."

"I love you too Nami and I can't wait to marry you."

"Me neither Luffy. Me neither" Nami yawned before the two lovers fell into a deep happy slumber, their arms still wrapped around each other. This had been without a doubt; the most romantic anniversary for the two of them and all it took in the end was something from everyone.

The End

* * *

One Piece belongs to Oda

Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX


	4. Chopper's Pet

As Chopper and Blizzard return to the Sunny from gathering supplies, the reindeer begins to act rather strange. Almost like he's hiding something. But what is it?

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

* * *

The Straw-hat pirates were currently docked at a small island. It would only be a couple of days before the log set, so the crew were gathering as much supplies as they could, be it food, mapping paper, fuel or materials. As of now, Chopper was currently leaving the chemist, with Blizzard after collecting a few medicinal herbs and some bandages.

"We've really gathered a lot of stuff this time." The reindeer said.

"_Well we were running out of food. Plus Zoro used up the last of the bandages during that fight with the marines._" Blizzard replied. As they made their way back down the street towards the ship, the two brothers continued their conversation.

"_You know Sanji's making our favourite tonight._" Blizzard grinned.

"Octopus balls~!" Chopper cheered.

"_We'll need to grab as many as we can, before Luffy hoovers them all up._" Blizzard chuckled.

"Yeah. I can't think who makes the best. Sanji or Hachi." Chopper wondered.

"_It doesn't matter. They're both great._" Blizzard replied. "_Plus, I saw Sanji buying some peanut butter at one of the shops. I wonder how it would go with octopus balls?_" but as he continued to ponder, he didn't notice that Chopper had wandered off to a small alley. Turning his head, he spotted his little brother kneeling down by the corner of the alley, his backpack lying in front of him.

"_Chopper? What are you doing over there?_" he asked. Chopper gasped slightly before turning around and putting his backpack back on.

"I'm coming." He said as he trotted back over to Blizzard.

"_What were you doing over there?_" Blizzard asked again.

"Oh one of the bandages rolled over to that alley. I just went to pick it up." Chopper explained. **Sniff-Sniff!** Blizzard's nose suddenly sniffed at the air.

"_That's strange. Chopper, do you smell something? I don't recognise that scent._"

"Oh it's probably the herbs. You aren't familiar with all of them after all." Chopper said before he began walking again. "Come on we have to get going." As Blizzard followed Chopper back to the ship, he couldn't help but wonder what that unfamiliar scent belonged to. But he knew it wasn't herbs.

XXX

That evening, everyone gathered in the aquarium bar for dinner. As Sanji walked up to the table with a large, covered platter, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard were all hungrily licking their chops.

"TA-DA~!" Sanji laughed as he removed the cover to reveal a mountain of octopus balls. The Straw-hats then let out a cheer as Sanji divided the balls out between everyone.

"There's plenty more, so take your time guys." He said. As the group enjoyed their meal, Blizzard couldn't help but notice Chopper was eating rather quickly.

"Hey slow down, Chopper. Sanji said there's plenty." Usopp spoke up.

"Sorry, it's just I need to get back to my medicine." Chopper said, with his mouth slightly stuffed.

"Chopper don't talk with your mouth full." Nami said.

"Sorry." Chopper apologised before swallowing. "Thanks a lot for the octopus balls. Can I be excused?"

"Sure." The group said before the little reindeer dashed off.

"He's in quite a hurry. He must be very busy." Luffy said.

"I know Chopper's always been dedicated to his work, but this seems like a bit of a stretch." Nami agreed.

"Leave him be for now. Maybe he is just busy." Zoro said as he took a sip from his mug.

XXX

As the evening continued and everyone was preparing for bed, while Robin made her way to the women's quarters and Luffy and Nami headed for their room and the rest of the boys went to the men's quarters, they noticed Chopper was walking back towards the kitchen.

"I'm gonna sleep in the sick bay tonight." He said before he continued through the kitchen and shut the door.

"Now that just doesn't seem right. Chopper doesn't sleep in the sick bay for no reason." Franky said.

"Maybe we should talk to him in the morning." Robin said.

"_Just what's going on with him?_" Blizzard wondered.

XXX

The next morning Chopper woke up when he heard a knock at the door, which caused him to roll out of the bed.

"J-Just a sec!" he called before after about a minute he opened the door to see the rest of the crew standing there. "Morning everyone."

"Chopper, we think you've been acting a little strange lately." Nami said. "You rushed through dinner and you spent the rest of the evening and night in the sick bay. Is there something bothering you?"

"No. I'm okay." Chopper said.

"Are you sure? You know we'll help you if you have any troubles." Usopp said.

"No I'm okay, really."

"Well okay if you're sure. Do you wanna come fishing then?" Luffy asked with a smile.

"Sure, that'd be great." Chopper grinned before following the group out of the sick bay.

"I guess we were just imagining things." Nami thought but as she looked back, she thought she saw Chopper's backpack move slightly, but she just shook her head and carried on.

XXX

As Chopper sat in the rail with Usopp and Luffy, the sniper and captain couldn't help but notice Chopper was a little agitated.

"Sorry guys, but I need to go and do something." He said.

"We've only been here for half an hour and we've caught four fish." Luffy said.

"I really need to go. See you later guys." Chopper said as he put down his fishing rod and ran off back to the sick bay.

"I really think there's something wrong with him." Usopp said.

"It's more like he's hiding something." Luffy said.

"Yeah but what?" but not long after Usopp had spoken, Chopper came dashing out of the sickbay in a panic.

"WHERE'D HE GO~?! WHERE IS HE~?!" he screamed as he ran around the deck, looking in the store rooms and climbing up the tree on the deck.

"Where's who?!" Usopp and Luffy shouted. But Chopper didn't answer as he ran off and up towards the library.

"Where did he go?!" Chopper panicked as he climbed up the ladder on one of the book shelves, until he felt a pair of hands lift him down, before they were revealed to be a chain of hands conjured up by Robin who was sitting at one of the tables reading.

"What's got you so flustered Chopper?" she asked.

"Robin I can't find him!" Chopper whined, his eyes watering a little.

"Find who? Blizzard?" but just then, they heard barking from outside, followed by what sounded like…a meow.

"OH NO!" Chopper screamed as he jumped out of Robin's hands and dashed out of the door before gasping. Blizzard was standing in front of one of the walls and quivering in front of him…was a small grey kitten. But before Blizzard could pounce on it, Chopper threw himself between the wolf-dog and the kitten, his arms outstretched.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" he shouted, causing Blizzard to stop dead in his tracks.

"_You…know this cat?_" he asked, but Chopper didn't answer. Instead, he turned around and pulled the kitten into his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked soothingly as he petted the kitten gently, which purred in his arms.

"Chopper?" the reindeer yelped before slowly turning around to see the whole crew standing in front of him.

"Where did you get that kitten?" Nami asked her hands on her hips.

"I found him. His name's Sooty." Chopper said, as he refused to let go of the animal.

"Does he have an owner?" Franky asked.

"No. He was cold and hungry. I couldn't leave him." Chopper said.

"_So that's what you were doing yesterday._" Blizzard realised. Chopper nodded.

"So…can we keep him?" he asked. Nami sighed sadly. This wasn't like with Luffy. Chopper was just so innocent.

"I'm sorry Chopper, but we can't keep him. We can't afford it."

"What do you mean?! I found him! We didn't need to buy him!" Chopper argued as he hugged the baby cat tighter.

"No Chopper, I mean we don't have the means to care for it." Nami said as gently as she could.

"I'll do everything for him. Feed him, clean him, and play with him, everything. You trust Luffy with Blizzard. Why not me with Sooty?"

"Look Chopper, I can see you're upset but-" Nami said as she tried to reach out to him, but he swatted her hand away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" he snapped.

"Hey don't snap at Nami!" Sanji barked.

"I wasn't talking to you dartboard!" Chopper shouted back before turning around and running off.

"_Chopper come back here._" Blizzard called.

"NO! I won't let you take him from me!" Chopper yelled as he ran into the medical bay and locked the door.

"Oh my. I've never seen Chopper this angry." Brook said.

"He's just a little upset." Usopp said.

"So what the hell do we do now? He's never gonna let go of that cat." Said Zoro.

"I really wish it didn't have to come to this…but we have no choice." Nami sighed.

"You mean…" Usopp said worried.

"We're gonna have to take the kitten when he isn't looking." Nami said.

"Is that really a good idea?" Luffy frowned. "What if he hates us for it?"

"He'll understand when we explain it to him. There are just some things we can't have; no matter how much we want them. Trust me I know this." Nami said sadly. "Franky? Can you get us a spare key to the sick bay?"

"Sure Sis." Franky said as he pulled one out of one of his shoulders.

"Now Luffy, Usopp. I want you boys to go into town and find a family who needs a cat. We have to be sure to give Sooty a good home."

"Okay Nami." Usopp said as he and Luffy left the ship and headed into the town, before Nami turned back to face the rest of the crew. "It'll be up to the rest of us to get Sooty form Chopper without him noticing. Most likely while he's asleep." The group then made their way to the sick bay before Nami peered through the keyhole to see Chopper (as luck would have it) fast asleep on the bed, with Sooty curled up next to him purring.

"Franky." Nami said. The cyborg nodded as he handed her the spare key which she used to quietly unlock the door, before tiptoeing over to Chopper and gently gathering the kitten into her arms. As she left, she turned back to see Chopper let out a small moan, as if he were having a bad dream.

"I'm so sorry Chopper. This was the last thing we wanted to do." She murmured before she along with the rest of the crew walked out of the sick bay before closing the door again.

XXX

As Luffy and Usopp walked through the village, they stopped by at one house when they noticed a family of five in the window. A mother and father with two daughters and a son.

"Let's try this place; they look like a happy family." Usopp said before he knocked on the door.

"Can I help you?" the mother asked when she answered it.

"Good evening ma'am. Would you have any interest in getting a kitten?" Usopp asked politely.

"Well actually. My little girl Alice's birthday is coming up tomorrow and my husband and I were thinking about getting her a pet, but they're so expensive." The mother said.

"Well don't you worry Madame. You can have the one we've got for free. His name's Sooty. We can bring him by in just a few minutes if you like." Luffy said.

"Oh that would be wonderful. Thank you so much. You have no idea how happy our daughter's going to be." The mother said happily.

"A pleasure to help ma'am." Usopp said. "We'll be right back."

"They seem like a nice family. I bet Sooty's going to love it there." Usopp smiled as he and Luffy made their way back to the Sunny.

"I still feel like Chopper's gonna be really mad at us for doing this." Luffy murmured.

"I know Luffy, but Chopper needs to learn he can't have everything he wants." Usopp said. "Not that I'm saying he's selfish." He added quickly.

"He's anything but that. I guess he's just always wanted a pet. You've seen him feeding the seagulls and the fish in the aquarium bar." Luffy said. As the two of them arrived back at the ship, they saw Nami and the others approaching, the navigator holding the kitten in her arms.

"We found him a home Nami." Luffy said.

"Good job you two." Nami praised as Luffy and Usopp led them back to the house before knocking again.

"Here he is." Usopp said as Nami handed the kitten over to the mother.

"You'll take care of him won't you?" she asked.

"Of course we will. Alice is going to be so happy when she sees him. We can't thank you enough." The mother beamed.

"We were happy to help Miss." Usopp said as he tipped his hat. "Have a good day."

"You too and thanks again." the mother said as the Straw-hats headed back to the Sunny.

"Guys…I don't know how we're going to explain this to Chopper." Luffy muttered.

"He'll be glad for Sooty when we tell him how happy we've made the family he's now with." Nami said, though a part of her seemed to think otherwise.

XXX

As Chopper woke up later in the evening he yawned as he sat up and stretched but as he looked down he gasped when he saw Sooty was no longer beside him.

"Sooty? Sooty~. Here Soot~. Pss-pss!" he called as he searched for the kitten but as he looked around, he noticed the sick bay door was open a crack. "Oh no, that can't be right! I definitely locked the door." Chopper said as he dashed out into the kitchen only to find the rest of the crew waiting for him. "Guys? Where's Sooty?" he asked.

"Chopper…we're sorry but…Sooty's gone." Nami said.

"What do you mean he's gone?!" Chopper spluttered.

"We had to give him away. But don't worry he's-" Usopp tried to speak up until Chopper cut him off.

"YOU GAVE HIM AWAY?! AND WITHOUT EVEN TELLING ME?!"

"We knew you weren't going to listen to us. We didn't have a choice." Sanji explained.

"How could you do this to me? He was my friend. He needed me." Chopper whimpered as tears began to escape his eyes and his little blue nose began to run.

"_Look Chopper we gave him to a nice family. They'll take good care of him. And besides, a ship's no place for a cat._" Blizzard said.

"Shut up you…FLEABAG!" Chopper shouted, which caused the crew to gasp. Not once had Chopper ever yelled at Blizzard before. "You don't know anything! I bet you just wanted him gone! What should I expect?! YOU'RE A DOG! You HATE cats!" Chopper continued to yell at his big brother who was now staring at him in utter shock.

"Why didn't you fight for me? Why did you side with the rest of them?! I thought you were my big brother!" at this point, Blizzard felt like he'd been shot through the heart. His ears and tail drooped before he slowly turned around and walked out of the kitchen and the others could just make out the sound of the wolf-dog sniffling.

"Chopper…how could you be so mean to Blizzard?" Nami said. "Go apologise to him."

"You're the ones who should apologise! You took away my friend! I HATE YOU AAAALLLL~!" Chopper wailed as he ran back into the sick bay and slammed the door shut. Silence followed for about three minutes except for the faint sound of the reindeer sobbing from inside the sick bay.

"I knew he'd hate us for this." Luffy murmured.

"I can't believe he tore Blizzard's heart in half like that." Usopp said.

"It's not that. He was just so upset he ended up taking it out on Blizzard. He didn't mean what he said." Zoro spoke up.

"Even if he didn't Snowy's probably beyond upset. What are we gonna do?" Franky asked.

"Well we certainly can't try speaking to him. As of now we're all dead to him." Robin said.

"Robin." Nami said before sighing. "We'll try talking to him tomorrow."

"I guess that's all we can do for now." Luffy said before the crew settled down for a sad night.

XXX

The next morning, neither Chopper nor Blizzard came to breakfast. The former had kept himself locked up in the sick bay and refused to come out and the latter had been lying on the deck by himself and even though Luffy put some food out for him, it was left untouched by the wolf-dog. Of course the break up between the two brothers took its toll on the rest of the crew. Luffy didn't eat much at breakfast either and for once Sanji didn't seem to care that the crew wasn't eating that much. Brook had no interest in playing any music during the day and Usopp and Franky seemed to stop working on their projects. Zoro found himself sitting alone in the aquarium bar alone, trying to drink the depression out of himself. Even Robin didn't feel like reading. Only Nami seemed to have any intention of talking to Chopper.

"Look it's not that we don't want to help him Nami." Luffy said. "It's just that we don't know what to say to him exactly. He's heartbroken as well as Blizzard."

"Yeah, plus we're afraid we'll just make him feel worse if we say the wrong thing." Usopp said.

"It looks like you're the only one who knows what to say to him." Franky said.

"I guess you're right. You'll just have to wish me luck." Nami said.

"As much as we can wish for you Nami." Brook said as the navigator used the spare key to the sick bay before letting herself in and shutting the door behind her. The floor was littered with rather untidy drawings of Chopper and Sooty and sitting in the corner of the room was Chopper with his back to her.

"Leave me alone." He sniffled.

"No Chopper. We've all had enough of you and Blizzard being apart like this. You need to go and say you're sorry to him." Nami said as she walked over to him. But the reindeer didn't answer. She sighed. "I know how you feel about Sooty. I had to go through something like this when I was younger." The small doctor looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes glossy with tears. Nami gently picked him up and set him down in her lap.

"When I was a little girl, I was walking through my village one day when I came across a little ginger kitten that had no home. I named her Tangerine and I wanted to keep her as a pet, so I took her home. But when Bellemere found out about me hiding Tangerine, she told me I had to give her away because we were too poor to take care of her. Of course I said no, and so Bellemere took Tangerine from me while I was sleeping before giving her to a family that needed a cat. When I found out I was so angry and upset that I shouted at Bellemere and when Nojiko tried to comfort me I said I hated her and locked myself in my room. I cried for two days. At first it was for Tangerine, but then my tears began to shed for Nojiko and I realised how ashamed I was to have taken out my anger on my big sister. So in the end I apologised to her and she eventually forgave me and everything was back to normal. I even got a chance to see how happy Tangerine was with her new family and it taught me that as much as I may want something I can't always have it, even when it's something I want just to give it love." By this point Chopper was sniffling again, but this time his tears were for Blizzard.

"N-N-Nami. I…I broke his heart didn't I?!" he sobbed. All Nami could do was pull Chopper into a loving embrace. She didn't care about him burying his face in her bosom. All that mattered was that he really needed a hug right now.

"Shhhh. It's okay Chopper. I know you'll be able to make it up to him. You're one of the sweetest little angels on this ship. Now let's go set things right." Chopper wiped his eyes before smiling at Nami.

"Thank you Nami. I love you big sister." He said as he hugged her again.

"I love you too little brother." Nami smiled as she returned the hug and gave the reindeer and kiss on the cheek.

XXX

Blizzard lay on the deck, wallowing in his own sadness before he heard the faint clip-clop of hooves and lifted his head to see Chopper approaching him.

"Hi Blizzard. He said quietly.

"_Hi._"

"I've…got something for you." Chopper said as he pulled out a piece of paper and lay it down in front of Blizzard so he could see it. It was a drawing of Chopper giving Blizzard a hug and written at the top were the words 'I'm so sorry big brother'.

"Blizzard, I'm so, so sorry. I know this won't even begin to scratch the surface but I don't know what else I can say. I could say that I'm a selfish little monster that took his anger out on his big brother when all you were trying to do was comfort him. I'm so disgusted with myself and I just hope you can forgive me. I love you and...I hope you still love me." Chopper whimpered as he curled up into a ball and wept, his hooves covering his eyes. But as he sobbed, he felt Blizzard's nose gently nudge him before he looked up to see the wolf dog looking at him who then began to open his mouth.

**SLLLUUUURP!** Blizzard gave Chopper a big wet doggy kiss on his face.

"_I love you too little brother. I know you could never really hate me._"

"Oh Blizzard~!" Chopper sobbed happily as he embraced his big brother in a big hug which Blizzard immediately returned. "I love you so much. You're the best big brother in the whole wide world~!"

"_I love you too Chopper._" Blizzard said as he nuzzled against Chopper. All the while the rest of the Straw-hats were happily watching the two brothers embrace each other. Luffy slung an arm around Nami before pulling her close to him.

"Nami, you're an absolute miracle worker." He grinned.

"Thanks babe." Nami said as the two shared a kiss. But just then the crew heard what sounded like footsteps, followed by a small meow. They looked to see the mother of the family they'd given Sooty to, and with her was a small girl with long brown hair and in her arms…was Sooty.

"Are those the nice people who gave me my kitty Mummy?" she asked.

"That's right sweetheart. They're the ones who gave you Sooty." The mother said before facing the Straw-hats. "Alice really wanted to thank you for your kindness." She said, but just then she saw Chopper walking down the gang plank with Blizzard close behind him.

"Is he happy?" he asked.

"He's very happy. And so is Alice." The mother said.

"Did sooty used to belong to you?" Alice asked before Chopper nodded. As he did, Alice handed sooty to her mother before glomping Chopper in a tight hug and pecking him on the cheek.

"Thank you so much mister! This has been the best birthday ever!" she laughed as Chopper blushed slightly before returning her hug.

"I'm just glad that Sooty's happy with you. I know you'll take care of him."

"I promise." Alice said before letting go of Chopper.

"Well we need to get going. Set sail guys!" Luffy said.

"Aye-aye Captain!" the Straw-hats called back before Chopper and Blizzard made their way back onto the ship and the sunny slowly began to leave the island.

"GOODBYE~!" Alice called as she waved to them.

"You're always welcome in our home!" the mother called as she also waved goodbye.

**MEEEOOOWWW~!** Sooty mewed as the ship sailed away with the Straw-hats waving farewell.

XXX

That evening as the crew went to bed, Chopper curled up next to Blizzard in his basket, pulling the wolf-dog's tail around himself like a blanket.

"Sooty seems so happy with that family." Chopper said.

"_He sure does Chopper. You made a little girl really happy today._"

"Yeah, I did. And thanks to Nami, I learned an important lesson. When I want something, even when I want to just give it love, it isn't always meant to be. But that doesn't mean I still can't make someone else happy by giving it away. And I also learned how much my family really loves me. Especially you and Nami big brother. And I know I've said this plenty of times, but like you said, we'll say it as many times as we want. I love you Blizzard."

"_I love you too little brother. With all my heart._" Blizzard smiled as he gave Chopper one more lick before the two fell into a peaceful and loving sleep, forever brothers.

The End


	5. No More Love for Chopper

After hearing a rather crazy story form Usopp, Chopper suddenly believes that he's been cursed to never feel love again or he'll turn to stone. The next day he does everything he can to avoid affection, but the crew don't plan on letting Chopper keep believing that a hug will make him into the Thousand Sunny's hood ornament.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

* * *

It was a dark night on the Thousand Sunny and a thunder storm was slowly closing in. But as of now the whole crew was asleep, except for Usopp and Chopper. The former was currently telling the little reindeer a bedtime story, and for once this one wasn't about the adventures of the great Captain Usopp. This story was about a warrior who defended his village from many powerful terrors, until one day, a powerful sorceress attacked his village, intending to brainwash the villagers into her personal slaves. Chopper was gripping his duvet tightly as Usopp continued the story.

"And with a single swing of his sword, he cut down the wicked sorceress. He was victorious." Usopp whispered loudly so as not to wake the others."

"Yay." Chopper cheered quietly.

"But…"Usopp then said.

"But what?"

"The sorceress had one last trick up her sleeve. 'You may have defeated me and saved your village warrior. But I always get the last laugh' she said. 'Ha! What can you possibly do you twisted fiend? I have won and you will never see the light of day again' the warrior said back. 'You're wrong warrior, because as of this moment, I curse you.' The sorceress laughed as she blasted a bolt of lightning at the warrior."

"Oh no. did she turn him into a frog?" Chopper asked.

"No. worse." Usopp said before he began to put on his old hag voice again. "'From this moment on, if you are ever shown physical love again, you will be turned to stone forever. You will never feel a hug or kiss again in your life. You shall never marry or have a child. You will be without love for the rest of your days.' The sorceress cackled before her body crumbled to dust and several bolts of lightning shot across the sky and the rain began to fall. The warrior was heartbroken. Because of this curse, he had to leave the girl he loved since he couldn't bear to let her blame herself if she ever accidentally turned him to stone. While his village continued to worship and care for him for all he'd done for them and what he'd lost, the warrior was never able to smile again. While his pride was saved, his passion was not. The end." Usopp finished the story.

"That poor warrior. So he was never able to get married or have children?" Chopper asked.

"Sadly no. But that doesn't mean he was alone forever. His friends were still there for him. And for some of us, friends are enough." Usopp said.

"But doesn't everyone deserve love?" Chopper asked.

"Well not everyone. But yes, every good person deserves it. But the warrior did experience it, so it's not like he went through life without ever knowing it. And do you know why I know this?" Chopper shook his head.

"Because I was there. It all happened in my village." Chopper gasped. "There was nothing I could do for my warrior friend, but I swore to him that I would become a warrior so I could carry on his greatness."

"That's right. Your dream is to become a warrior." Chopper realized. Usopp nodded. "Could I have another story tomorrow?"

"Anything for my number one fan. Sleep well Chopper." Usopp said as he went his bunk.

"Goodnight Usopp." Chopper said as he lay down in his bed. But at that moment, there was crash of lighting as the storm passed over the Sunny. Chopper managed to clamp his hooves over his mouth so he wouldn't' scream, but as the lighting sounded again and he saw a bolt of it strike the see, he then heard what sounded like a scary laugh not far from him. Unbeknownst to him, it was actually Franky who was having a funny dream, but due to having his face in the pillow, it made his laugh sound strange and therefore unrecognizable to Chopper. And at that moment, he had a horrible thought.

"Wait a minute. When the sorceress cursed the warrior, a storm happened immediately after and she laughed. A storm just happened now and I just heard a laugh I don't know. What if...oh no…a sorceress just flew by the ship and she's cursed me. It's all there. The storm, the laugh and now it's raining. I've been cursed. This can't be happening." Chopper whimpered as his eyes began to water. "Now I'll never be able to feel love again. I can't hug Blizzard, or Nami or Luffy. And none of them can hug me back, or kiss me. But I won't let that happen. If I turn to stone, they'll blame themselves for it. There's no choice. From now on, I'll have to avoid affection no matter what."

XXX

The next morning as Chopper woke up he stretched and yawned before climbing out of his bunk. As he walked out of the men's quarters, he saw Luffy and Nami coming out from their room.

"Morning you two."

"Morning Chopper." Luffy and Nami said back.

"Did you sleep well?" Nami smiled.

"Like a log. Usopp told me a story last night." Chopper said.

"Aw. Wish I'd been there to hear it." Luffy pouted. "But I had my hands full last night." He smirked as he put his arm around Nami causing her to giggle a little.

"_Morning little bro._" Chopper turned to see Blizzard approaching him.

"Morning Blizzard."

"_Well?_"

"Well what?"

"_Aren't you going to give me my morning hug?_" the wolf dog asked. Chopper gasped.

"_Oh no. I can't let him hug me or I'll turn to stone. But I can't just say no to him, or I'll hurt his feelings._" Chopper thought.

"Um…I guess I forgot." He said twiddling his hooves.

"_It's not like you to forget. Besides, you like getting hugs Chopper._" Blizzard said as he walked over to him.

"Well you see Blizzard I-"

"Breakfast's ready everyone~!" Sanji called.

"YAY BREAKFAST~!" Luffy cheered as he shot off towards the kitchen.

"_Thank you Sanji._" Chopper thought.

XXX

After breakfast, Chopper got to work on his medicine until he heard a knock.

"Come in." the door opened to reveal Nami. "Hi Nami."

"Hi Chopper. Could you come with me to the library please? I need you to help me with something." The navigator said.

"Sure." Chopper said as he followed her out of the sick bay until they reached the library.

"Okay Chopper. I've just finished my next map, but I have to pin it pretty high up with the rest of them. So I need you to pass me the map while I climb up the ladder. Okay?"

"Okay Nami." Chopper said as the navigator began to slowly climb up the ladder until she'd reached the wall where all her maps were pinned.

"Alright Chopper, hand it up to me." She said. The reindeer reached for the piece of map on the desk, before handing it up to Nami who reached out to take it from him. But as she did, the ladder began to wobble violently. As chopper looked at it, he noticed one of the wheels was loose and about to fall off.

"Nami you need to come down, think the ladder's going to-"

"WHAAA!" Nami cried as the wheel broke of the ladder and she fell.

"NAMI!" Chopper yelled as he transformed into his heavy point and caught her in his arms. "Are you okay?"

"I…I think so." Nami panted as she tried to catch her breath. "Chopper thank you. I could have really got hurt if you didn't catch me. You saved me."

"It was nothing big sister." Chopper smiled as he set her down and changed back to brain point. "We should tell Franky about the ladder so he can fix it up." But just then he noticed Nami kneeling down beside him, her arms outstretched to him. "Uh Nami, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to give my little brother his reward for saving me; a hug and a big kiss on your little blue button." Nami smiled as she reached out to hug him. But Chopper took a step back.

"T-That's okay Nami. You don't have to thank me." He said.

"What do you mean? You love getting hugs from me." Nami said as she tried to pick him up again.

"Sorry Nami, but I have to get back to work. I'll tell Franky about the ladder on my way back." Chopper said as he ran out of the library, leaving Nami rather puzzled.

XXX

As Chopper made his way back to the sick bay, he passed Robin's flower garden, only to notice that it looked a little dry, also there were a few flowers lying beside it that hadn't been plated yet.

"Robin's flowers look pretty thirsty. Plus these ones haven't been planted yet. I'll sort this out." He said to himself before he picked up a trowel and watering can and got to work. About fifteen minutes passed until Chopper had planted the new flowers and gave the garden a drink.

"There we go. All done." He said proudly.

"Chopper?" the reindeer turned to see Robin standing behind him. "Did you do all of this?" she asked.

"Yeah, you're garden looked a little dry and some of the flowers weren't planted yet, so I thought I'd give you a hand."

"Oh that's so kind of you Chopper. Thank you." Robin said before she began to lean down to peck him on the cheek.

"Y-You're welcome Robin, bye." He said quickly before dashing off.

"That's strange, I only wanted to thank him. Why did he run off like that?" Robin wondered.

XXX

"That was close. She almost kissed me. I couldn't bear to let Robin blame herself for turning me to stone." Chopper panted, when he was far enough away from Robin. But just then he felt a pair of hands cover his eyes, which made him yelp.

"Guess who?" Luffy chuckled as he took his hands off Chopper's eyes.

"Luffy you scared me." Chopper frowned.

"Shishishishi~! Sorry. Do you want to play tag? Usopp's busy and Blizzard's having a nap with Zoro."

"Sure, I'd love to play tag. You're it!" Chopper said before running off with Luffy in hot pursuit. They chased each other around the deck until both of them were lying on the grass panting.

"Wow, I'm exhausted." Chopper panted.

"Yeah, and I'm hungry. But lunch won't be ready for four hours~!" Luffy whined.

"Don't worry Luffy. It'll be worth the wait." Chopper said as he sat up.

"Thanks for the game little buddy." Luffy said before he tried to give Chopper a friendly hug. But the little reindeer quickly rushed off before Luffy could touch him.

"What's got into him?" Luffy thought.

XXX

"It's okay Chopper. You're going to be alright. There's no one here in the aquarium bar." Chopper said to himself.

"Yohohohoho~! That's where you're wrong, lad." Chopper jumped at the sudden laughter before he saw Brook sitting on one of the couches.

"B-Brook. You startled me." Chopper said.

"I was just about to play some music. Would you care to listen?" the skeleton asked.

"Yeah, I could really use some music actually." Chopper said as brook began to play his violin soothingly. As he played, Chopper went to sit beside the musician, until the song was over.

"That was wonderful Brook, I feel really relaxed now. You're music's always the best."

"Yohohoho! Thank you Chopper. I always like a good compliment." Brook chortled before he reached out to pat Chopper on the head.

"_Wait. Will pats to the head turn me to stone? No, I can't risk it. Brook lost too much, he can't lose me, or he'd probably never be able to play again._" Chopper thought before he hopped down from the couch before Brook could thank him.

"Thanks again for the song Brook." Chopper said as he left.

"What in the world's gotten into that lad?" Brook asked himself.

XXX

As Chopper got back to the kitchen, he intended to go straight to the sick bay and keep himself in there for the rest of the day.

"_No one will be able to get me there._" He thought.

"Oh Chopper?" he turned to see Sanji enter the kitchen behind him.

"Oh, hey Sanji."

"Do you think you could give me a hand?" he asked. "There are a lot of dishes and I really need to get lunch ready. If you could wash them for me, I'll make you a cake for your trouble." Chopper licked his lips at the mention of the treat.

"You've got a deal Sanji." He said before he changed to heavy point and got down to cleaning.

"Thanks a lot Chopper." Sanji said as the reindeer got started on washing. After about half an hour, Chopper had cleaned and dried all of the dishes and even put them away even though Sanji said he'd done enough.

"You really helped me out of a tight spot there, Chopper. Thanks a million." Sanji said before he reached out to ruffle Chopper's fur, but the latter quickly sped off into the sick bay.

"That was weird. I wasn't gonna hurt the guy." Sanji muttered before he went back to preparing lunch.

XXX

Nami had just finished telling Franky about the broken ladder, but she just couldn't stop thinking about how strange Chopper had been acting. One moment he was willing to help and then when he'd finished helping he ran off before she had a chance to thank him for saving her from the fall.

"_I don't know what's gotten into him, but I need to find out._" She thought until she noticed Luffy lying against the tree on the deck, watching the clouds.

"Hi Luffy."

"Oh hi Nami. Everything alright?"

"More or less. Have you seen Chopper?"

"I did about an hour ago. He played tag with me and then ran off."

"He didn't tell you about how he saved me?"

"Saved you?"

"Yeah, he was helping me put my map up. But then one of the wheels on the ladder broke off and I fell, but Chopper caught me. But the weird part is he ran away from me when I tried to reward him."

"He really saved you?" Luffy then thought for a moment. "How were you going to reward him?"

"I was gonna give him a hug and a kiss, but he ran off before I could touch him." Nami said, her voice sounded a little upset.

"That's strange. I tried to give him a hug for playing with me, but he ran away from me too." Luffy said.

"Luffy, I think something really weird is happening to him. We need to get the others and see if we can figure out what's going on with him."

"Okay Nami."

XXX

After a few minutes, Nami and Luffy had gathered the rest of the crew together.

"So what is it you want to tell us?" Zoro asked.

"Guys, we think something strange is going on with Chopper." Nami said.

"What is it that's happening to him exactly?" Usopp asked.

"Well first of all, how many of you did he speak to today?" Luffy asked. Robin, Brook, Blizzard and Sanji raised their hands (or paw in Blizzard's case).

"Did he do anything for you exactly?"

"Well he watered my garden and planted some new flowers in it for me." Robin said.

"He complimented on my music after listening to one of my songs." Brook mentioned.

"And then he did the washing up for me. He even put the plates away after he was done." Sanji said.

"Now what did he do after he'd helped you?" Nami asked.

"Well…he ran away before we could thank him." Robin said.

"_It's almost like he's trying to avoid any affection. I know he does that happy dance whenever someone's nice to him, but he's never just avoided thankfulness like this. It's like he was afraid it was gonna kill him._" Blizzard said.

"You're right buddy. Whenever we tried to hug, kiss him or even ruffle his fur, he legs it." Luffy said.

"I know he can be shy, but this is nothing like him at all." Nami said. By this point Usopp looked rather worried.

"What's the matter with you Usopp? You look SUPER nervous." Franky said.

"Oh no." Usopp said as he slapped his palm to his forehead.

"You know what's wrong with him?" Sanji asked.

"I think I do. I was telling him a story last night about a warrior who got cursed by a sorceress so that he could never be shown affection again or he'd turn to stone. Guys…I think Chopper thinks he's cursed. That's why he wouldn't let Blizzard hug him, or Robin kiss him or even let Brook pat him on the head." Usopp explained.

"But why the hell would he think he was cursed? You didn't tell him he was did you?" Zoro asked.

"Of course not. There must have been something in the story that made him think he was though." Usopp said as he thought until he pounded his fist into his palm. "The storm."

"What?" the crew asked.

"In the story, after the sorceress cursed the warrior, a storm followed immediately after. When I'd finished telling the story, a storm passed over the ship. He must have thought he'd been cursed because of the storm." Usopp said. A few moments passed before the rest of the crew started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Usopp asked.

"Sorry, it's just Chopper will believe anything. He's so adorably naïve." Nami laughed.

"_This is sillier than that time he thought I was vampire._" Blizzard said as he tried to stifle his laughter.

"So how do we make him realize he's not cursed?" Luffy asked.

"Easy. One of us just has to hug him and that'll be enough proof for him." Nami suggested.

"But won't he get scared? If he's been avoiding us this long, it'll be difficult to approach him." Zoro said.

"He'll be fine. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" Usopp said.

XXX

"Chopper? Are you there?" Nami called. The door clicked before Chopper opened it a crack.

"What is it guys?"

"Chopper we need to talk to you. You've been acting really weird." Luffy said.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You've been helping out a few of us today, but when we try and thank you, you run off. We want to know why." Sanji said. Unbeknownst to Chopper, the Straw-hats were only asking just to be sure that they weren't wrong.

"_They're never going to leave me alone about it. I need to tell them._" Chopper thought before taking a deep breath. "I'm cursed." The crew stayed silent. "If any of you hug or kiss me, I'll turn to stone. I couldn't bear to let any of you blame yourselves for it. That's why I wouldn't let you thank me." He explained.

"Well Chopper, I only have one thing to say." Luffy said before kneeling down in front of him. "Get over here." He laughed before pulling Chopper into a tight hug.

"NO DON'T! PUT ME DOWN OR I'LL TURN TO STONE!" Chopper cried but after about five seconds, Luffy let him go. "N…Nothing happened."

"Of course nothing happened. Cause you're not cursed silly." Nami said.

"But…but the story."

"The story doesn't mean you were cursed. It was only the warrior who got cursed. Not you." Usopp said.

"But after the warrior was cursed, the sorceress laughed and a then a storm happened. I heard a weird laugh I didn't know last night, and then the storm happened. I must be cursed."

"No you're not. The storm was already here when I started the story and the laugh was Franky. But he had his face in his pillow so his laugh came out weird. That's why you didn't recognise it." Usopp explained.

"So…I'm not cursed?"

"No of course not." Silence followed for about a minute until Chopper suddenly threw his hooves against the deck.

"HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID?! I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!" he roared as he banged his clenched hoof against the kitchen floor.

"_Whoa-whoa! Take it easy little bro. What's the big deal?_" Blizzard asked.

"What's the big deal?! I'm a gullible little idiot who'll believe anything. Of course I wasn't cursed. How could I have believed I was? I believed Sanji when he said I was the emergency food supply."

"Chopper, you don't have to be so embarrassed." Nami tried to comfort him, but Chopper didn't stop.

"I don't deserve to be the doctor of this crew! I'll never be able to make it in the New World if I'm this stupid. I won't even be able to accomplish my dream if I believe everything I'm told. How could I actually believe Nami was a cross-dresser when she tricked Lola back on Thriller Bark? BECAUSE I'M A GULLIBLE IDIOT~!" with that he ran off.

"Chopper wait! You're not an idiot!" Luffy called, but the reindeer was already gone.

"Well I never. I did not see that coming." Brook said in shock.

"Who'd have thought he'd beat himself up over this?" Zoro said. Nami sighed.

"Looks like we need to talk to him. Come on." She said before her and the rest of the crew went to catch up with Chopper.

XXX

"Chopper~. Chopper where are you?" Luffy called as the Straw-hats searched the ship for their doctor, until they heard what sounded like crying coming from the soldier dock system. As they looked around they heard the sobs were coming from the channel where the Brachio Tank was kept.

"Guys I think he's in channel five." Sanji said before they opened the door to find Chopper sitting inside the Brachio Tank, wiping his eyes and sniffling.

"Chopper, what's the matter?" Robin asked.

"What do you think? I'm mad at myself cause I'm an idiot."

"Chopper you are NOT an idiot. We're not gonna stand by and watch you hate yourself over something like this." Nami said slightly sternly.

"Then why do I keep believing things that clearly aren't true?! Even Luffy's not that dumb. He never would have believed you were a man when you said that back on Thriller Bark."

"Chopper it's not your fault you believe crazy things." Zoro said.

"Yes it is. If not then whose fault is it?!"

"_Nobodies. The only reason you believe stuff like this is because you have such a big imagination. It's one of the best things about you, little bro._" Blizzard said.

"What do you mean? Usopp's got a big imagination and he doesn't believe everything he's told."

"That's because I didn't grow up the same way you did." Usopp said to Chopper. "All your life you never got to have any fun or go anywhere. All you knew was studying medicine and never knowing anyone besides the two doctors that raised you. And then all of a sudden we came along and gave you a family and a whole new life in a brand new world full of things, places and people you never even knew existed. It's only natural that your imagination grew tenfold when you came out here and therefore it's only natural that you'd easily believe anything after seeing stuff like a giant zombie, a talking skeleton, an island made of trees that squirt bubbles and even the Kraken itself."

"It's true Chopper. If any of us grew up with the life you had, we'd probably believe anything after becoming part of this amazing world. You're not an idiot for believing in crazy things. You just have an SUPER imagination and there's nothing wrong with that." Franky smiled.

"You mean you don't think I'm stupid?" Chopper asked his voice no longer sad.

"_Of course we don't. We love you for who you are Chopper and nothing can change how we care about you. Even if you believed I was vampire or Nami was a man._" Blizzard smiled. By this point Chopper had stopped sniffling and a small smile appeared on his face.

"Now. How about you get out of that tank and come over here. I still have to reward you for saving me, little brother. We all still have to thank you." Nami said opening her arms. In a flash Chopper jumped down form the tank and threw himself into Nami's open arms hugging her tightly, before she planted a big kiss right on his blue nose and smiled.

"I love you guys~!" Chopper wailed happily before the whole crew was sharing a group hug.

"And we love you Chopper." Robin smiled as she kissed him on the cheek before the crew stopped hugging.

XXX

"So what story do you want tonight, Chopper?" Usopp asked who was sitting beside Blizzard's basket with Chopper cuddled up next to his wolf-dog brother.

"Can you tell me that one about how Blizzard and Sogeking took down ten marine battleships?" Chopper asked.

"_You always like the ones about me and Sogeking._" Blizzard smiled.

"Of course I do. You and Sogeking are my two favourite heroes." Chopper said earning a lick form his big brother, causing him to giggle.

"Hey what about us?" Luffy said who'd been accompanied by the rest of the crew. All of the Straw-hats gathered around Blizzard's basket.

"Actually, you know what? How about I tell all of you a story this time?" Chopper suggested.

"I think that'd be great since you have such a big imagination." Nami smiled who was curled up next to Luffy who had his arm around her.

"I think that's just what we need actually." Usopp agreed.

"Well…have any of you heard the one about when me and Blizzard fought an army of Snow Rabbits in the middle of an avalanche and then we had to defeat their leader to save a kingdom of white foxes?" Chopper said.

"_Wow, I haven't heard that one in a while. That had to be one of our biggest adventures together._" Blizzard grinned.

"Tell us! Tell us!" Luffy cheered.

"We're all ears Chopper, although I don't have ears. Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed.

"We're ready when you are." Sanji said.

"Well, it began like this." Chopper began as the crew listened intently to his story. While he may have become a bit gullible when he was introduced to the real world, he had also become one of the most imaginative reindeer in the Grand Line.

The end


	6. A Lesson from Uncle Usopp

Monkey D. Belle is hungry for adventure, but Luffy has promised to help Nami with her maps for the day, so it's up to her Uncle Usopp to take her on a journey of thrills, chills and bravery.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard, Monkey D Belle and Roronoa Hanako belong to XfangheartX**

* * *

It was a bright warm morning in the Grand Line and Pirate King Luffy was currently sitting in his favourite spot, and curled up in his lap was his five-year-old daughter Belle. The two were currently enjoying the warm weather, until they noticed a patch of land appear over the horizon. As if on cue, the two of them grinned and looked at each other.

"Ready princess?" Luffy smiled.

"Mm-hm." Belle replied before they both took a deep breath.

"GUYS~! I SEE AN ISLAND~!" they both sang.

"Well spotted you two. We should be docking in about half an hour." Nami said, who had just walked over to join them. "From the looks of the climate zone we're in, I think this is a spring island. But it may be nearing a large downpour, judging by those clouds over it. So make sure you put your coats on.

"But Mummy, it's nice and warm~!" Belle moaned. "I don't wanna wear a coat.~"

"Just do as your Mum says, sweetie. She knows what she's saying." Luffy said as he got up. "Come on. Let's go play fetch with Blizzard for the time being. You go get Hanako, while I get Blizzard."

"Okay Daddy."

XXX

Luffy, Belle and Zoro and Robin's son Hanako were standing in a triangle on the deck, with Blizzard in the centre running from one to the other as they tossed the ball to each other teasing the wolf-dog.

"_Come on! Come on! Gimme the ball already! Gimme the ball~!_" Blizzard whined to Luffy, his doggy instincts taking control.

"Shishishi~! Well you'll have to catch it before we do, buddy." Luffy laughed as he threw the ball to Hanako who caught it, before Blizzard dashed towards him.

"Here it comes Belle!" he said before tossing it to her, but as she caught it, Blizzard had already caught up with her and tackled her to the ground, licking her face playfully.

**Slurp! Slurp! Slurp!**

"HAHAHAHA! Blizzard stoppit! That tickles! Okay you win!" she laughed as she tried to push the large animal of her, but failing to do so.

"Come on Blizzard, that's enough. Now off." Luffy said, as his dog obeyed. "Great game you two. You did a good job."

"Thanks Dad." Belle said as she wiped the last Blizzard's slobber off her face.

"Hey Uncle Luffy. We're here!" Hanako said who was standing on the railing. Luffy and Belle immediately joined him and beamed. The island was very lush and green. The sun was shining brightly and there was a thick jungle just ahead of the shore.

"This has adventure written all over it." Luffy grinned excitedly.

"We're here everyone~!" Belle called as the crew came out to meet them.

"Wow. That's one lush island. Quite a lot of plants." Usopp said.

"I bet there's plenty of herbs I could gather for my medicine." Chopper said.

"And I bet there's plenty of fruit too." Sanji said as he took a drag on his cigarette.

"Plus the weather is SUPER warm. Perfect time for sunbathing." Franky said as he looked at the bright glowing sun.

"Yohoho! And the perfect time for some music. YOW!" Brook said as he strummed his guitar.

"Well it will be for now at least. There's going to be a pretty big monsoon in about an hour. So make sure you're all back on the ship by then.

"No problem. Time to go exploring~!" Luffy cheered as he began to jump over the rail. **Whap!** Nami grabbed her husband by the back of his shirt.

"Not so fast, mister. Don't tell me you've forgotten?" she asked.

"Forgotten what?" Luffy asked. Nami sighed.

"You promised to help me chart this island. Remember?"

"But Nami~! I was gonna go adventure~" Luffy pouted.

"Not today. But I promise I'll…make it up to you later." She whispered naughtily as she kissed his cheek. Luffy immediately smiled.

"Okay. You've got a deal, gorgeous." He snickered.

"What does Mum mean?" Belle asked.

"Thaaaat doesn't really matter right now, Belle." Zoro said as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. Belle then sat down on the deck and huffed.

"No fair. Now Daddy can't take me exploring and everyone else is busy." She said grumpily.

"I'm not busy. I'll take you for an explore, Belle." Usopp said.

"Really, Uncle Usopp? You mean it?" Belle asked, her face brightening up.

"Sure. Anything for my favourite little niece." Usopp grinned as he playfully ruffled her long black hair, making her giggle, before she tackled the sniper with a hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you~!" she cheered.

"He-Hey! Take it easy, whirlwind. Don't tire yourself out before we even leave the ship" Usopp said as he returned his niece's hug.

"Thanks a lot Usopp. You always know how make my little Belle smile." Luffy said as he put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Well you know me Lu. I'm always good with kids." Usopp grinned proudly.

"Alright then. You two get ready to go and be sure to be back here in an hour. I don't want either of you catching a cold in the rain." Nami said.

"Don't worry you're pretty orange head, Nami. I won't let her out of my sight. You can trust me." Usopp said, with a thumbs up. "Do you wanna come along too, Hanako?"

"No thanks. I've got training with Dad." The green haired boy said as he went over to Zoro.

"Maybe next time." Zoro added.

"Suit yourself. Come on Belle, let's go for an adventure." Usopp said as he leapt over the rail.

"Yay~!" Belle cheered as she jumped down beside him and he lifted her onto his shoulders before running off into the jungle, the two of them laughing all the way.

"Wait, you two forgot your coats!" Nami called, but they were already out of ears reach. "Oh for goodness sake."

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be fine, sweetheart." Luffy said as he put an arm around his wife. "Usopp's a brave warrior of the sea, remember. He can protect Belle."

"I suppose you're right. I just can't help but worry when it comes to her. She's so energetic for her age."

"Well what do you expect? She has my brawn and your brains. She's probably one of the strongest children I know."

"Yeah, you're right. She's going to be wonderful queen someday."

XXX

"Captain's log: day twenty-seven last Tuesday. I have infiltrated the jungle with my trusty sniper and first mate Usopp. Our mission: find the golden melon in the centre of the ancient ruins, before the moon is full and the volcano erupts, summoning the sea kings of East Blue." Belle said from Usopp's shoulders.

"Hey, I'm the captain, missy." Usopp smirked.

"Not in this adventure, Uncle Usopp." Belle smirked back as they continued their trek, until she gasped.

"Uncle Usopp, look!" She shouted in excitement.

"What is it kiddo?" Usopp said until he looked where she was pointing to see a shimmering gold beetle on a nearby tree, which was sipping some nectar. "Wow a golden Hercules. There worth a fortune in bug collecting. Not that we really need the money, since we're loaded for life. But I bet Luffy, Chopper and Hanako would be really impressed if we caught it."

"Yeah, come on let's catch it!" Belle cheered as she climbed down from Usopp's back and tried to run towards the beetle, but he held her back.

"Not so fast, you'll scare it away. The number one rule of bug catching is silence and patience."

"But that's two rules, Uncle Usopp."

"Nevermind. The point is, you have to sneak up on it quietly and not make a sound. You're old man and I caught plenty of beetles, so listen carefully, young bug catcher."

"Yes master." Belle said with a small bow.

"Okay now I want you to walk very slowly towards the beetle, and try not to step on any twigs or anything that'll make a noise to scare it." Usopp instructed. Belle nodded before slowly tiptoeing towards the beetle, as quiet as a mouse.

"Okay. Now slowly reach out to it. And when your hands are close enough, gently grip the side of its thorax."

"What's a 'snorlax'?" Belle asked confused.

"_Thorax._ It's the main body of the insect; its tummy." Usopp explained. Belle nodded again before she began to stretch her hand out towards the shiny gold beetle until her hand was just above its thorax. The bug buzzed slightly and shifted, causing Belle to remain still as a statue. She looked back only to see Usopp smile at her.

"It's okay. You're doing great. You're almost there." Belle turned to face the insect again before taking a deep breath and gently grasped the side of its body and pulling it away from the bark of the tree, its six legs kicking the air.

"I DID IT~! I DID IT~!" she cheered as she ran back to Usopp who was also cheering.

"Alright Belle! You caught a Golden Hercules. That's the highest honour for a bug catcher and an even higher honour for a beginner. I'm so proud of you." Belle blushed and shyly kicked the ground with her foot.

"So what do we do with the bug?"

"Just a minute." Usopp said as he reached into his shoulder bag and took out a jar. "Put him in here." He said after placing some leaves and some of the nectar in the jar. Belle slowly brought the beetle over to the jar and then gently lowered it in before Usopp screwed the lid on (which had been punctured with air holes of course), gazing at the rare insect.

"So what do we do now?" Belle asked as Usopp put the jar in his bag.

"Let's keep exploring. There's still some time left before the rain starts."

"Okay, let's go up the hill. I bet we'll be able to see the Sunny." Belle suggested.

"Good idea. Race ya!" Usopp said before they both took off towards the hill, laughing together.

XXX

"Wow~! You can see everything from up here." Belle gasped from up on Usopp's shoulders as they stood near the top of the hill.

"And there's the Sunny. You can even Zoro and Hanako training." Usopp pointed.

"Let's call to them. Maybe they can hear us." Belle said.

"Okay. One, two, three."

"HELLOOOOOO~!" they both called, their hands cupped around their mouths. Zoro and Hanako actually stopped training and looked around, but couldn't seem to spot Usopp and Belle, so they shrugged and went back to duelling. The sniper and princess giggled.

"They can't see us." Belle said as she tried to stifle her laughter.

"Hm-hm. Anyway, we should probably get back. I think that monsoon'll be here any minute." Usopp said as he felt a drop of rain hit his palm. "Uh it's already started. Let's hop it." Usopp added as he set Belle down and they began to make their way back down the hill. By the time they were halfway down the hill, the rain was already coming down very heavily and they were both dripping wet.

"Uncle Usopp, I'm cold." Belle shivered.

"It's okay, honey, we'll be fine. I know the way back. And once were there we'll each have a nice hot shower to warm up."

"Yeah that sounds goo-WHAA!" Belle suddenly yelped as she slipped and began to slide down the hill. Due to the heavy rain, the dirt ground had become very soft, muddy and slippery and a mudslide was starting to happen.

"Belle hold on!" Usopp said as he slid down after her, until he managed to grab her hand and pull her into his arms. "I GOTCHA!"

"Uncle Usopp, look out!" Belle pointed to a large gaping hole in the hillside and all the mud and water was flowing in.

"Crap!-crap!-crap!-crap!-crap!" he shouted as he tried to grab onto a tree root or something, before they both slid into the hole.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH~!" they both screamed before Usopp grabbed his slingshot.

"Green star- trampolia!" **Twang!** Usopp shot a green seed at the rocky ground, as the large jelly like plant sprouted beneath their feet and sent them shooting back into the air. **BOIYOING~!**

"Green star- cotton ball!" **Twang!** Usopp shot a bright white seed which sprouted into a large bed of cotton wool which they both landed in. **POOF!**

"Are you okay Belle?" Usopp said to the half-pint who was curled up in his arms.

"I-I-I-I'm okay." She stuttered. "I…I thought I was going to die."

"Hey, shh it's okay. As long if you're with me, I won't let anything happen to you, Belle." Usopp said as he hugged her protectively, before standing up. "Now come on, let's get out of here. There's flowing water, so there must be an exit. We just have to follow the stream."

"Okay Uncle Usopp." Belle said as she began to walk beside him, holding his hand, though she couldn't help but start sniffling. Usopp decided that it was probably the cold. But he couldn't be more wrong.

XXX

Meanwhile, back on the Sunny, Nami and Luffy had just returned from charting the island, so find Brook and Sanji pulling the tarp over Nami's tangerine grove so the plants wouldn't be drowned.

"We're back guys!" Luffy called, gaining their attention.

"Oh you both must be freezing. Head inside, we'll be right behind you." Sanji said, as he and Brook finished pulling the tarp over.

"Oh I'm soaked through to the bone, even though I'm all bone. Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed as the four of them entered the aquarium bar to find the rest of the crew.

"Welcome back, you two." Robin said who was currently reading to Hanako. The green haired pipsqueak leapt down from his mother's lap before hugging Luffy and Nami.

"I missed you Uncle Luffy, Aunt Nami." He said.

"Aww we missed you too sweetheart~" Nami cooed as she kissed her nephew on the forehead, but then she looked up. "Where're Usopp and Belle?"

"They haven't got back yet." Zoro said.

"They must be getting SUPER soaked out there." Franky said. By this point Nami was getting worried. Luffy, noticing this, gave her a kiss.

"Hey, don't worry. It's only been ten minutes since the monsoon started. They'll be back soon. Besides it's only rain. What's the worst that could happen? Belle and Usopp have had plenty of colds."

"You don't understand Luffy. This isn't a normal heavy rainfall. If they stay out there for too long their cold could become hypothermia and then they could get very sick." Nami panicked.

"Look I know you're worried about her, but I trust Usopp will keep her safe. He's the kind of guy that would give you the shirt on his back if you needed it. I know he'll bring Belle back safe and sound and even if they do get Hypothermia, Chopper'll cure them up fine."

"That's right. I'll have them warmed up in a jiffy, Nami." Chopper said. Even though the navigator was worried, she smiled, knowing that Usopp would indeed protect her daughter to the end.

XXX

Back underground, Usopp and Belle were following the stream through the cavern, in order to find the exit. However Belle was starting to get scared.

"Uncle Usopp, I'm frightened." She whimpered.

"It's okay Belle. We're going to get out of here, I promise."

"But what if we _don't_?! What if we get even more lost? What if we never reach the end of the cave? What if when we get to the end, there's just a tiny little hole we can't get through? Then we'll starve to death! I'll never see Mummy or Daddy again!" she began to cry. This really tore the sniper up. He hated seeing his crew cry, especially someone as young and innocent as Belle. Left with no other options, he knelt down and pulled her into a hug.

"Monkey D. Bellemere. You listen to me, because I'm about to give you a lesson on being brave. You're the daughter of the bravest man I know and what do you think it means to be brave?"

"…It…it means not giving up?" Belle sniffed.

"Exactly."

"It means pulling through to the end without losing hope?" Belle said, a little less sadly.

"Right!" Usopp said, a grin beginning to spread across his face.

"It means standing up to fear and not letting it walk all over you like how Uncle Sanji walks all over anyone who tries to loot our ship." Belle said, who no longer sounded frightened. Usopp laughed at the comparison.

"Now you've got it!" he smiled as he brushed a couple of tears away from Belle's face, with his thumb. "No matter what happens to you. Even when we aren't there, never forget who you are, Belle, because you have to be one of the, if not the bravest little girls I've ever met. Trust me, we met another little five-year-old girl just like you, who was easily scared, but after an adventure with us, she became strong and brave and learned to stand up for herself. We know you can do the same." Belle hugged him tightly, a few happy tears escaping her eyes.

"I love you, Uncle Usopp."

"I love you too." Usopp said, as he kissed her cheek and returned the hug. "Now let's go home."

"Mm-hm." The two of them continued to follow the small stream until they noticed a light ahead of them.

"You see? We made it, Belle." Usopp grinned as they ran towards the light and out of the tunnel, finding themselves back outside the mountain.

"You were right. We got out. Now we can go home! I never thought I'd miss the rain." SPLISH-SPLASH! Belle cheered as she splashed around in the puddles. Usopp smiled proudly at how all the fear in her had vanished.

"Ha-ha! Come on you, let's get back to the ship. Your Mum and Dad must be worried sick." Usopp said as he put her on his shoulders once more and began to walk back, until he stopped. "But which way is back? We were in that mountain for a quite a while. I don't know which part of the island we're on."

"Come on Uncle Usopp. You're turning into Uncle Zoro." Belle giggled.

"I'm nothing like him. Let's just walk around the mountain until we find the path we were using." Usopp suggested, as he began to walk around the mountain, looking for the path, but little did he know, they were being watched by several pairs of fierce looking eyes, and none of them belonged to Nami.

XXX

"Right! That's it! I'm going out to look for them!" Nami said as she stood up from the table and put on her coat.

"Nami wait!" Luffy said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm coming too." Nami just nodded.

"Wait me too!" Chopper said.

"No offense, Chopper, but why do you want to go?" Franky asked.

"If they're hurt, I'll need to be there. Of course I hope they're not." Chopper replied as he changed to his walk point.

"_Then I'm coming too, little brother._" Blizzard said. "_I can help sniff them out. Plus we'll find them quicker if I take Luffy and you take Nami._"

"Good idea big brother." Chopper said. "Nami, get on my back. Luffy, you ride Blizzard. We'll split up and search for them."

"Right. The rest of you stay here in case they come back. We'll keep in touch with the transponder snails." Nami said as she climbed onto Chopper, as did Luffy with Blizzard.

"Let's ride." He said. **AAAROOOOOOOO!** Blizzard howled as he and Chopper took off with Nami and Luffy.

"Just keep your eyes peeled for them. Call me if you find them." Luffy said.

"You too." Nami replied as Chopper ran off to one part of the island while Blizzard took off in another direction.

XXX

Back in the jungle, Usopp and Belle were still wandering around and the rain was still coming down hard.

"How you doin' Belle?" Usopp asked, but then his face filled with worry when he saw the half-pint shivering. "Oh no you're freezing. You're gonna get sick if you don't wrap up." He then pulled off his shirt and wrapped it tightly around her. "There. That should keep you warm."

"But what about you, Uncle Usopp. Now you're gonna get cold." Belle said.

"You're still young Belle. The rain'll be harder on you than me. It's best you stay as dry as you can. I'll be alright." But as they were about to keep walking, a loud snarl sounded behind them.

"What was that?" Belle whispered. Usopp took a deep breath before slowly turning round to see a pack of large jaguars, all snarling and hissing.

"Belle…get behind me." Usopp said in a deep tone. The pipsqueak nodded before slowly moving behind him, clinging tightly to his trouser leg. Usopp then slowly reached for his Black Kabuto and pulled out a handful of pop greens.

"You want a piece of me, kitty cats?" he said before pulling his goggles over his eyes, and grinning. "Take a bite."

**GRRAAAAARR~!** The pack of jaguars sprang at the sniper, who readied his slingshot. "Green star- Devil!" **Twang! CHOMP!** The large Venus fly trap burst form the ground before grabbing two of the jaguars and swallowing them. The other six big cats dashed towards the sniper, while Belle stayed behind him, refusing to let go.

"Humandrake! Skull Bombgrass! Bamboo Javelin! Impact Wolf!" **SNAP! BOOM! TWANG! THUNK! SPLAT!** The powerful plants sprang up left and right, taking out more and more of the jaguars until all of them were defeated. "Huh, too easy." Usopp grinned.

"You're amazing, Uncle Usopp!" Belle cheered, who was only a couple of feet away from him, but at that moment, one more Jaguar had crawled up the hillside and was about to pounce on the child. **GRRAAAAARR~!** Usopp immediately wheeled round to see the large feline leap towards Belle who'd become frozen with fear.

"BELLE!" Usopp cried as he threw himself in between them and held Belle tightly. **SLASH!** In a spray of blood, the jaguar's claws slashed across Usopp's back as he protected his niece.

"AAAAAUUUURRRRGHH~!" he screamed in agony as he fell forward onto the ground.

"UNCLE USOOOOOOOPP~!"Belle wailed, as tears streamed down her face at the sight of her loving uncle lying injured on the muddy ground and the jaguar slowly approaching to finish him off. But before it could deliver the final blow…**BONK!** A smallish rock suddenly hit the jaguar hard in the face. It shook its head before looking up to see Belle standing a few feet away from it, a mixture of anger and terror on her face.

"You…you leave my Uncle Usopp alone YOU DIRTY ALLEY CAT!" she screamed. The jaguar licked its chops before it began to prowl towards her.

"Belle...r…run…" Usopp croaked, as he coughed.

"I'm…I'm not leaving you Uncle Usopp! You're the one who taught me what it means to be brave. I'm not running away from this pussycat!" Belle shouted but as the jaguar was about to pounce on her…

"BULLET!" **POW!** A fist suddenly connected with the Jaguar's face sending it shooting across the clearing and hitting the hillside with a **CRASH!**"

"DADDY~!" Belle cried at the arrival of her father, who was sitting on Blizzard's back. He then leapt down before pulling his daughter into a tight embrace.

"Oh Belle, I was worried sick! Are you alright, princess?" he said as he tenderly kissed her cheek.

"I'm fine Dad. But…Uncle Usopp. He…he saved me." Belle wept as Luffy saw his friend lying on the ground, unconscious.

"USOPP!" Luffy shouted as he ran to his side and turned him over. "He's alive. We need to get back to the ship." He then pulled out a baby transponder snail. "Nami! Nami do read me?! I've found them and Usopp's hurt really bad. Get back to the ship with Chopper! I'll meet you there."

"**Oh thank god, you found them! I'll see you back at the ship Luffy.**" Nami said before the snail fell asleep.

"Belle get on." Luffy said as he hoisted Usopp onto Blizzard before climbing on himself, followed by Belle who curled up in his lap. "Let's ride Blizzard!"

XXX

After arriving back at the ship, Chopper took Usopp to the medical bay to treat his wounds, while Nami took Belle to get her cleaned up from all the mud that had got on her, as well as warm her up from being out in the rain for so long.

"You had me so worried, young lady." Nami said as she rinsed Belle's long black hair.

"I'm sorry Mummy. I just hope Uncle Usopp's okay. He saved me from those mean jaguars."

"JAGUARS?!" Nami repeated in shock.

"You didn't know?" Belle asked, before Nami hugged her tightly.

"Remind me to thank Usopp when he wakes up." She sniffed; a few tears falling from her eyes.

"Mummy, don't cry."

"I'm just so glad you're safe." Nami said as she wrapped Belle up in her dressing gown and carried her out of the bathroom and back to the aquariums bar, where the rest of the crew was waiting.

"BELLE YOU'RE OKAY!" Hanako cried as he hugged his little sister.

"I missed you big brother." Belle said as she returned his hug.

"We all missed you Belle, and we're so relieved you're alright." Robin said as she hugged her niece as well.

"It's Uncle Usopp you should thank. I would've got eaten up by those jaguars if he wasn't there. But I didn't run away, cause he taught me how to be brave. I'll never run if my family needs me."

"Of course you won't. You're a Straw Hat, Belle and the Straw Hats always look out for each other."

"You got that right, Captain." Everyone turned around to see Usopp limping into the bar with Chopper at his side. His entire stomach and back were bandaged up.

"Uncle Usopp~!" Belle cried joyfully as she tackled him with a hug, knocking him to the ground. He winced slightly from the pain, but ignored it as he returned Belle's embrace.

"Are you okay, Belle?"

"Never mind me. You're the one who got hurt." Belle said as she hugged him tighter. Usopp smiled for a moment before frowning as he stood up.

"Usopp? What's wrong?" Zoro asked.

"Luffy. Nami. I'm…so, SO sorry." Usopp said.

"What are you talking about?" Sanji asked.

"If I hadn't' been out there so long, I wouldn't have got Belle caught in the rain and stuck inside that mountain for so long. Plus we got attacked by those Jaguars and I still couldn't protect her. If Luffy hadn't shown up, she'd be dead by now. It's all my fault. I don't deserve to be her Uncle." He said.

"Uncle Usopp…" Belle said sadly, her eyes starting to water.

"Usopp, how stupid can you get?" Nami said, gaining his attention. "You protected her to the very end. You even literally gave her the shirt on your back just to keep her warm. You have to be the greatest Uncle she could ever have. No offense guys." She then added to Zoro, Sanji, Chopper, Franky and Brook.

"None taken." They all said.

"But I-"

"No buts. If Belle had been on her own, she wouldn't have survived. She told me how scared she was when you both got swallowed by that mountain, but she also told me how you made her feel better and taught her about never giving up and being brave. That's one of the biggest responsibilities of being with a child. Always giving them hope, and you gave her more than she could ever need."

"But I told her to run when the Jaguar struck me. But she wouldn't leave. She even threw a rock at it. I know I told her to be brave, but I didn't want her to go looking for trouble."

"But she was _already_ in trouble. All she was doing was trying to protect you, because she loves you so much. We all do. If she ran away, it would have caught her easily or she would have gotten lost. Belle may be strong, but she's still young. Staying where she was and not abandoning you was the braver decision." Luffy said. Usopp turned his gaze to his feet, before Nami embraced him.

"You're the bravest man in the Grand Line, Usopp. And you're definitely the best Uncle for our daughter, and we wouldn't want it any other way. Right guys?"

"RIGHT!" the Straw Hats said. Usopp smiled warmly as his crew cheered for him. His life really was complete when he first stepped onto the Going Merry, and ever since, his life had only gotten even better.

"Thanks for the adventure Uncle Usopp." Belle said. Usopp turned his gaze to her before opening his arms.

"Thanks kiddo. Now come here and give your Uncle a hug." He grinned. Belle laughed happily before she threw herself into his arms.

"Hey don't forget me, Uncle Usopp!" Hanako shouted before tackling him as well causing him to fall backwards onto the floor again, his Niece and Nephew hugging him tightly. The rest of the crew laughed as Usopp returned their embrace.

"We love you Uncle Usopp!" Belle and Hanako said.

"And I love you both too. I'm so lucky to have the best Niece and Nephew in all of the sea." Usopp smiled as he continued to hug them, and he could never have been further from the truth.

The End


	7. Scamming the Scammers

The Straw Hats are beginning to run low on money, and Usopp proposes that they try scamming, but Nami doesn't believe it's safe, so Usopp and Luffy go along with the idea in secret intending to keep the crew away from being berriless as much as possible.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

**This story was inspired by the**_** avatar episode 'The Runaway' which belongs to Nickelodeon,** _**Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konitzko**

**The coconut game was a homage to a scene from the movie 'Despicable Me' which belongs to Universal studios and Illumination Entertainment**

* * *

The Thousand Sunny had arrived at its latest destination. The island itself was fairy peaceful; however the crime rate was also fairly high, mainly in theft and scamming. Because of this, the town was littered with dozens of desperate bystanders who attempted to scam folks out of their money with all kinds of tricks. Be it selling fake merchandise, or cheating them at card games. On top of all that since, the marines saw this as a petty annoyance and saw no reason to take action, the citizens had continued their scamming ways for many years. But anyway, the Straw-hats were actually in a bit of a predicament. They were beginning to run low on money and at the rate they were going, they wouldn't be able to buy enough food or medicine to make the journey to the next island. As of now, Nami had called a staff meeting to discuss the matter. **WHAP!** The navigator slammed her palms on the table to gain the groups attention.

"Guys, the log sets the day after tomorrow and we're almost out of money. We need to find a way to make some cash before the log sets. If we can just get enough supplies, we can make it to the next island and hopefully run into some enemy pirates along the way so we can raid their ship."

"Well that's a good plan for the future, Nami. But right now we need to figure out how to make some dough, here and now in two days or we're in SUPER trouble." Franky said.

"I know. That's why I called this meeting together. Do any of you have any ideas?" Nami asked, as she looked at the crew.

"Community service?" Chopper suggested.

"_That's voluntary. You don't get paid for that, Chopper._" Blizzard explained.

"Oh."

"Are there any fight clubs. We could enter Luffy, Zoro or Sanji in a fight and bet everything on them." Brook said, but Nami shook her head.

"There're no clubs."

"How bout we hunt some bounties?" Zoro proposed.

"There are posters for us here too. We can't hand in any criminals or we'll be captured as well." Nami said. The crew sat there wracking their brains before Usopp leapt to his feet.

"I got it! Scamming!" he said.

"Scamming?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah. This island's full of scammers. We could make money off of them, or even set up our own stall. We could make millions in minutes."

"Hey, that's a good idea." Zoro smiled.

"Sounds like fun." Luffy grinned.

"Wait hold on a second." Nami spoke up. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"What are you talking about? It's the perfect idea." Zoro said. "What's makes you think it won't work?"

"I'm not saying it won't work. I'm saying it's too dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Luffy asked confused.

"The crime rate on this island is very high. It may not seem like it, but it is. I actually saw one of those scammers get stabbed when he blew his cover. I can't risk any of you getting hurt."

"What you think we're weak or something, 'Mum'?" Zoro snorted sarcastically.

"No! It's just….I don't know. I just don't feel comfortable with this." Nami sighed.

"Fine, I won't go ahead with scamming." Usopp said.

"Promise?"

"Promise." Usopp smiled, though he sneakily crossed his fingers behind his back. "_Promise to make this crew some money that is._" He thought.

XXX

After a small simple lunch (due to Sanji not wanting to use up much of the supplies) Usopp headed out onto the deck and looked towards the town. But as he was about to take a step…**Ahem!** Usopp wheeled round to see Zoro and Luffy standing there.

"Off to do some scamming, Usopp?" Zoro asked.

"Look guys. No one else has any ideas and I'm the only person who does. If it means helping the crew, then I'd be willing to kill for their sake. I'm going to get some money and you're not going to stop me." He said, trying hard to keep his knees from shaking, knowing the monster duo's strength.

"Stop you? We want to go with you." Luffy said.

"You…want to come with me?"

"You're damn right we do. You think I'm gonna miss a chance of finally repaying Nami's debt?" Zoro said. "That woman'll never be able to blackmail me again. Plus I've noticed Robin wanting a certain book. I think she'd be pretty happy if I got her it." He added with a smirk.

"All right! Let's go make some cash!" Luffy cheered.

"But why do you want to come along?" Usopp asked.

"To have some fun." The Captain grinned.

"Fair enough. But first, we need to put on some disguises. Our posters are in this town after all so we can't get spotted."

"Good call." Zoro said.

"And also, I finally get to try my new invention." Usopp said before he pulled out a pair of red dice.

"Oh, I've heard of that game. You call the number, and if it lands you win the bet." Luffy realised.

"Yep." Usopp replied.

"But let me guess. You've loaded them. Sorry but this one's not gonna work, cause eventually the people are gonna see that the dice are loaded if they keep landing on the same number." Zoro said.

"Not this time." Usopp grinned as he pulled out a remote from his pocket. "This lets me control the ball that's inside the dice. I make the ball roll to any side I want and therefore I can control which number it lands on. No one will suspect a thing."

"Shishishishishi~! You've got an answer for everything Usopp." Luffy chuckled.

"That's me. Now let's go." Usopp said as the trio made their way towards the town.

XXX

Usopp, Luffy and Zoro (who were now all wearing weak, but adequate disguises) wandered through the streets as they looked at the many people either trying their luck at one stall or some had their own games set up in an attempt to scam passers-by. As they observed the many games, Usopp noticed a small stall that had three posts, each with a coconut perched on top.

"Let's try this one guys. It looks simple enough. I don't think we'll even need to cheat." Usopp said as they walked up to the stall.

"Ah, good day gentlemen. Care to play the game?" the owner greeted.

"You bet. What are the prizes?" Usopp asked.

"Just knock down all three coconuts and you get 10,000 berries." The owner explained. "One try for 1000 berries." Usopp handed over ten hundred berry coins, before the owner handed him three balls.

"Here we go." Usopp said before he threw the balls towards the coconuts. **POK! POK! POK!** The balls hit and knocked all three coconuts clean off their posts.

"Congratulations Sir! You've got a sharp pair of eyes." The owner said as he handed Usopp his winnings. "Although, would you care to make the game more interesting?"

"Interesting?" Usopp echoed inquisitively.

"Bet your winnings, and I'll make the prize 50,000 berries." The owner said.

"Okay, bring it on." Usopp said as he pushed his winnings back to the owner and picked up the balls. **POK! POK!** The first two balls knocked the coconuts down, but when the third ball hit the last coconut, it just bounced away and the round brown nut remained in place.

"Hey, what the hell?! I hit that! It should have fallen over!" Usopp said in a mixture of shock and outrage.

"Sorry pal, but if the nut's not knocked over, you don't get the winnings. Uh-oh! Someone's got a frowny face." He chuckled at Usopp's pout.

"The game's not over." Luffy suddenly spoke up. "Let's make it even more interesting."

"How so, Sir?" the owner asked.

"How about I bet my friend's slingshot," Luffy began before swiping Usopp's black Kabuto off him "and my other friend's swords," he continued as he took Zoro's katana, much to the latter's shock "and you make the prize 150,000 berries." The owner looked at the four weapons and nodded his head.

"These are very fine swords, and I've never seen a slingshot like this. Okay, you've got a deal."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Usopp hissed.

"And you must have a death wish betting my swords. Don't think I won't be able to kill you without them." Zoro snarled.

"No guys listen." Luffy whispered as he gathered them into a group huddle. "Usopp, he cheated you."

"He what?!"

"SHHH! When you took your second go, he glued one of the coconuts down. I know, because I used my Observation Haki."

"That sneaky rat. But how do you plan on winning the game?" Zoro asked.

"Just watch." Luffy grinned before going over and picking up the three balls. "Okay…my turn." He then turned around and walked a few steps away from the stall, before he threw his first two shots. **POK! POK!** As expected the first two coconuts fell off, but Luffy was ready for the last shot. At that moment, he used his Armaments Haki to coat the last ball, before he began to spin his arm in comical circles, and with a hard swing, he threw the ball right at the last coconut. **WHOOOOOSH! CRASH!** On impact, the ball left an enormous gaping hole in the stall and the last coconut was completely obliterated. Luffy smiled proudly before facing Usopp and Zoro and gave them two thumbs up.

"KNOOOCKED OOOVERRR~!" he cheered as Usopp and Zoro took their weapons back and claimed their 150,000 from the owner who was now utterly flabbergasted.

"Thanks for the money, buddy." Usopp grinned as the trio walked off. "That was INCREDIBLE! You blew up the whole wall!"

"You really scammed him back, Luffy." Zoro smiled, impressed.

"Shishishi~! I know. Now let's go have some more fun!"

"YEAH!" Usopp and Zoro cheered.

XXX

"Where are those three?! They've been gone all day." Nami said to Robin as she paced about the deck.

"I sure hope my darling Zoro didn't get captured by the marines and executed." Robin said.

"How can you say that about your own boyfriend?!" Nami shouted. "And besides, you know he's stronger than that." but no sooner had she spoke, she noticed the trio walking towards the ship. Luffy and Usopp were both wearing enormous backpacks slung both of them were grinning like a pair of Cheshire Cats. Zoro had a smaller bag slung over one of his shoulders and was only smiling proudly, like he'd had a good day (which he had).

"HI NAMI~!" Luffy sang as he went to greet her.

"Speak of the devil. Where the hell in the world have you been?!" Nami said as she hugged him.

"We've just been out shopping." Zoro grinned as he put down his bag and handed Robin a book, who gasped at it.

"I've wanted to buy this one for weeks." She said as she joyfully kissed Zoro.

"I knew you'd be surprised." Zoro laughed. "Oh which reminds me." He then tossed Nami a small sack of coins.

"What's this?"

"My debt: repaid." The swordsman said.

"But how the hell did you get 30,000…"Nami began before she realised what was going on. "You went scamming didn't you?!"

"Guilty as charged. Well not anymore." Zoro said smugly.

"Usopp, you promised!"

"Well whaddya expect, Nami?! I'm a liar. You should have known better."

"And besides, we only cheated because the guy was cheating us first. We scammed a scammer. What's wrong with that?" Luffy asked.

"He does have a point." Robin said.

"Don't side with them!" Nami barked at the archaeologist before turning back to the trio. "Guys, you need to stop this now. I should have expected Usopp to go back on his word and it's no surprise Zoro went along if meant repaying his debt. But Luffy?"

"I'm sorry Nami, but I have to agree with Usopp on this one. We really need the money and this is the only working idea anyone's come up with. If you have any better ideas, then I'd really like to know, please." Nami opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Luffy sighed before giving her a hug. "I know you're concerned for our wellbeing, but we've got everything under control. We wore disguises so no one would recognise us and I'm only going along with this for the sake of the crew. You must understand. If it meant keeping the crew alive, I'd do anything."

"I…I know, Luffy. Just…please promise you'll be careful." Nami said as she hugged him back. The Captain then pulled away before brushing a lock of her orange hair behind her ear.

"I love you, remember? And I'm only doing this cause there's no other options. I promise, once we have enough money and we're ready to leave, I'll stop." Luffy then unbuttoned his shirt before tracing his finger over the X-shaped scar on his chest. "Cross my heart." Nami smiled warmly before crossing her own heart.

"I'm sorry I got the wrong idea. And I'm sorry I doubted you guys so much. I guess…I was getting worried over nothing. It's just those two years still hurt a little and I never want to lose any of you again. Especially you."

"Hey don't beat yourself up. We know how responsible you are. You're the only one who can keep this nutcase in his place. Besides, the marines want Luffy dead for ringing a damn bell. What more damage can a bit of scamming do?" Usopp grinned as he patted Nami on the back. "Tell you what. Come with us tomorrow and we'll show what it's all about. We know you're a good card player; you could really help us scam some of those dealers. I really got screwed over when one of them turned all the cards black so I couldn't find the red one. Besides, you're Cat Burglar Nami after all. You can scam in more ways than one." he smirked at the last part of his sentence.

"Okay. I'll come along." Nami smiled.

"That's the spirit. Learn to have some fun for once." Zoro said.

"What do you mean by that?! I'm fun!" Nami said, blushing from embarrassment.

"Yeah right? Name one time you were fun to be around. And chatting doesn't count."

"Well…"

"That's what I thought."

"Leave her alone Zoro. Nami's fun when she chooses to be. You'll see." Luffy said.

XXX

The next morning, Luffy, Usopp and Nami headed back into town to continue scamming. Zoro had decided he'd had enough since he only went along in the first place to repay his debt and get Robin her book, and he saw no other reasons to keep going. They first stopped at a card game where which Nami decided to play. With Luffy's Observation and her own intelligence, Nami was able to see past the dealer's trick and was able to sneakily scam him back. By the end of the game they managed to make 2,000,000 berries, and Nami had to admit, she was beginning to enjoy herself. As of now, the trio were currently in the middle of playing a dice game, which gave Usopp the chance to use his new gadget. Nami would roll the dice and call the number while Usopp cleverly used his remote to control the dice so they would land on the number Nami called. So far they had 150,000,000 berries up for grabs and a mountain of bills and coins was lying in the centre of the street where the game was commencing.

"Alright! Now show me seven!" Nami called as she rattled to two dice in her hand before throwing them forward. The two red cubes bounced across the street before stopping on a five and a two.

"YES~!" Nami, Usopp and Luffy cheered.

"You're luck is just extraordinary, Miss." One of the citizens said.

"WAIT! Her dice are loaded. They must be!" another spoke up.

"You idiot! If they were loaded, they would have landed on the same number every time. Don't you know anything?!"

"Well, nice doing business with you." Nami smiled as she bent down to gather her winnings from the ground, but as she did, one man, who was about Franky's size and had shortly cut black hair, a fairly muscular body and green eyes, noticed her blue tattoo just peak out from underneath the sleeve of her t-shirt. His eyes narrowed.

"Say, Madame? If your luck is just as extraordinary as that man believes it is, then how about we make the prize 200,000,000?" he asked.

"You're on." Nami grinned before rattling the dice again and throwing them. "Eight!" as if on command (of course) the dice landed on their called number and Nami, Luffy and Usopp cheered.

"Now we have more than enough money for supplies!" Luffy cheered.

"And plenty left to spend!" Usopp added happily.

"Now Miss. If you'll just follow me, I can give you the rest of your winnings." The man said as he began to make his way to a large warehouse at the end of the street.

"Guys, take the rest of the money back to the ship, I'll catch up with you." Nami said.

"Are you sure? You don't want me to come with you?" Luffy asked.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Nami said as she gave him a reassuring kiss on the cheek which made him blush slightly.

"Okay then, we'll see you back at the ship then." Usopp said as he and Luffy began to head back, while Nami followed the nameless man.

"Right this way." He said as he entered the large warehouse. As Nami stepped through the doorway, she began to feel uncomfortable. Something just seemed off about what was happening, and she feared, she may have just made a big mistake. She was right. In a flash, two figures were behind her and grabbed her arms while a third gagged her, muffling her screams.

"Surprised? I think you should have thought twice before entering with your hopes high…Cat Burglar Nami." The latter's eyes widened when she heard her pirate name.

"I saw your tattoo. Wear a long-sleeve shirt next time. And I also know that you were with Straw-hat just minutes ago. It's surprising that he's now in a romance with you, but who can blame him? You are quite a gem after all."

"Vat ve heh do vou vant (what the hell do you want)?!" Nami said muffled, by her gag.

"Your man's bounty, what else? And I know what you're thinking. Why did I not bring him here too? Because I know how powerful he is and I'm not going to go making wild assumptions that I can just take him head on. So I'm going to do things the old fashioned way. Bait him here using you, and then kill him when he's attempt to free you." As Nami was dragged off and thrown into one of the cells, all she could think of was one thing.

"Don't make me wait, Luffy."

XXX

After Luffy and Usopp had got back to the ship, they divided their winnings out between the crew, giving a fair cut to Sanji and Chopper so they could buy medicine and food supplies. The other members of the crew were also given a bit of the money for themselves and Luffy and Usopp agreed to give the rest to Nami for safe keeping. As of now, the two friends were sitting out on the deck feeling proud of their accomplishment in the past two days.

"We really did it this time, Luffy." Usopp grinned.

"You can say that again. Not only did we get the crew out of a hole, but we had fun doing it too." Luffy chuckled back as he and Usopp hi-fived.

"Yep. I don't see how anything could go wrong from here." But just then, the loud clip clop of hooves was heard nearing the ship. **KLOMP! KLOMP! KLOMP! KLOMP!** Luffy and Usopp turned to see Chopper galloping towards them in Walk Point.

"LUFFY! USOPP! WE'RE IN BIG TROUBLE!" he cried as he braked to a halt in front of them.

"Chopper what's going on?!" Luffy asked as the little reindeer changed back to Brain Point and handed Luffy a ball of paper.

"I was coming back from shopping for medicine and then this ball of scrunched up paper hit me in the head. So I opened it and….I had to come back and get you guys!" Luffy un-crumpled the paper and gasped at what it read: _'We have your woman, Straw hat. And we know you never leave a crew member behind. If you want to see her again, come to the warehouse at the end of the town. You have two hours to comply. Signed Gunpowder Slim.'_ Luffy stared at the note and glared at it before throwing it over his shoulder and into the sea.

"Let's go." He said venomously.

"But wait, Luffy. This could be just like when Robin got captured. They're using Nami as bait to get your bounty. We can't just go to them, or you'd be playing right into their hands." Usopp said.

"Then what do you propose we do, Usopp?! This is all our fault. Nami was right all along, but we didn't listen and now look what's happened! I'm going to get her back and if you don't then I've lost a lot of respect for you!"

"No! I'm not saying we don't go get her back and I'm not abandoning her. What I'm saying is that we make a plan first. We can't just go charging in. They might have Nami at knife point and kill her before we can take a step. How about Chopper and I create a distraction and while we've got their attention, you go get Nami." Luffy stared for a moment before smiling.

"You're always good with the plans Usopp. I'm sorry I got the wrong idea." But at that moment, Blizzard came trotting out.

"_What's with all the ruckus?_" he asked.

"Nami's been captured and we're going to save her. Wanna come along, big brother?" Chopper asked. The wolf dog grinned when he heard the offer.

"_You bet your little blue nose I do. I'm really in the mood for biting some scumbag's ass._"

"All right, the gang's all hear." Usopp said before standing up.

"But Usopp, how are we going to create a distraction?" Chopper asked. Usopp smiled mischievously before leading the group to the soldier dock system and pointing to Channel 5. The sniper and the doctor looked at each other before grinning and nodding their heads.

"UH-HUH!" they both said to each other.

"OHHH YEAH!" Chopper added.

XXX

Meanwhile, at the warehouse, the man now identified as Gunpowder Slim was smiling mockingly through the bars of Nami's cell. The orange haired navigator still cuffed and gagged only glared back at the bounty hunter in disgust.

"I know what you're thinking. I don't plan on underestimating your boyfriend, but I can promise you this. He's not going to beat me easily. You see, I also hold the powers of a devil fruit, therefore I'd say we're evenly matched." Nami's eyes widened slightly but her faith in Luffy didn't dwindle whatsoever.

"What type you say? Oh you'll see soon enough. In the meantime sit back and enjoy the-" **KABOOM!** Before Slim could finish his sentence an earths-shattering explosion sounded form with in the building. Slim immediately sprinted to the entrance of the warehouse to find the entire front wall obliterated and several of his men out cold and charred and standing tall and proud in the centre of the hole…was the Brachio Tank. The hatch at the top flipped open before Chopper popped his head out, happy tears streaming down his face as he moved his hoof into a salute.

"C…Commander Chopper! Reporting for duty!" he sobbed happily.

"What the hell is this?! Who are you?!" Slim demanded. No sooner had he spoke, Usopp poked his own head out, his goggles over his eyes.

"We're Captain Usopp and Commander Chopper. Two of the Straw-hat pirates, and we and our Captain are here to kick your ass!" he grinned.

"Then where the hell is Straw hat?! He's the one I want, so where is he?!" Slim shouted.

"Oh, I think you should be more worried about us blowing you sky high! And besides, Private Luffy and Sargent Blizzard are way ahead of you." Chopper smirked.

"What are you talking about?!" Slim said, utterly confused. Unbeknownst to him, Luffy had used the explosion as cover to sneak passed Slim and the other bounty hunters on Blizzard. The latter had used his sense of smell to locate Nami, and now the two had arrived at the cell holding her, much to her joy.

"Don't worry Nami. We'll bust you out." Luffy said as he reached out to pull the bars off the cage but before he could touch them, Nami frantically shook her head. "What's wrong?"

"_Luffy, I think the bars are made of sea prism stone. You can't touch it or you'll be drained of your energy. I'll bite through them easily though._" Blizzard said, but Nami only shook her head again.

"What's she trying to say? You can bite through sea stone easily, so why's she telling you to stop?" Luffy wondered as he reached out and lightly touched one of the bars with a finger, and as he did, his body was instantly engulfed in electricity. **KRRRRZZZZZZZTT!** "WHOA! It's electrified, that's why she didn't want you to bite it." Luffy gasped as he quickly pulled his finger away. "Now what do we do? Neither of us can get through that, unless…I got it! Blizzard, go get Chopper."

"_I'm on it Luffy!_" Blizzard said as he turned tail and galloped back towards the entrance leaving Luffy and Nami alone.

"I know you can't answer me back, Nami, but I just want to say, I'm so sorry." Luffy apologised. Nami cocked her head to side, looking slightly confused. "You said this was a bad idea, but Usopp and I wouldn't listen. I know we only did it for everyone's sake, but we should have expected something like this to happen. I'm sorry for being so stupid, as usual." Luffy said, his head hung in shame and Nami now looking rather sympathetically at her Captain/boyfriend/fiancé.

XXX

Back at the entrance Commander Chopper and Captain Usopp were blasting more and more of Slim's men left and right. Slim himself had managed to get away from the tank's powerful shots, but at that moment, Blizzard shot passed him and braked to a halt in front of the tank. Chopper popped out of the hatch and saluted his big brother.

"Sgt. Blizzard. How's the rescue mission?"

"_We've hit a little snag actually, Commander. We need you on the mission._" Blizzard said.

"Aye-aye Sarge! Captain Usopp, you'll have to fight the rest on your own." Chopper said as he jumped onto Blizzard's back. Usopp then emerged from the tank before readying his Kabuto.

"Don't sweat it Commander Chopper. I can handle Slim. Go get Lieutenant Nami. She's our top priority." Usopp said as he aimed at the bounty hunter who glared at him. Blizzard then immediately sprinted back to Nami's cell.

"What's the problem, Private?" Chopper asked as he jumped down form Blizzard's back.

"Blizzard and I can't get through this cage. It's sea stone, and electric so I can't bend it and Blizzard can't bite it. However, you can dig under it and get Lt. Nami to safety."

"_Lietenant?_" Nami thought, before smiling behind her gag. "_I'm actually honoured to be given such a high position. Then again, I am the smartest member of the crew._"

"You can count on me Private Luffy. Stand back." Chopper said as he morphed into his Horn point and began to rapidly dig into the concrete floor before quickly appearing on the other side of the bars and gathering Nami into his arms before jumping back into the hole and climbing back up to Luffy and Blizzard. The former then pulled off his girlfriend's gag, while the latter bit through her cuffs.

"My heroes." Nami smiled before giving Luffy, Blizzard and Chopper each a kiss on the cheek. "Now let's get the hell out of here, boys."

"You got it, Lt!" Luffy grinned as the quartet ran back towards the entrance, but they suddenly braked to a halt at what they saw. Slim was standing in front of them, grinning wickedly and behind him, Usopp was trying to get back on his feet. The sniper didn't seem too injured, but he looked really exhausted, plus he his left leg was bleeding heavily.

"I'm…not…through with you yet…bastard." Usopp gasped as he collapsed back onto the ground.

"Well I'm through with you." Slim muttered back over his shoulder.

"What did you do to Usopp?!" Luffy yelled, as Chopper ran over to the sniper.

"He…he's been shot in the leg!" the reindeer gasped.

"_But that's impossible. None of his men had guns._" Blizzard said. "_Unless…_" he then thought.

"Confused? Well let me explain. As your girlfriend (and now your long nosed pal) already knows, I have the power of a Paramecia devil fruit: The Barrel-Barrel fruit." He then lifted his hand, in a gun like position before his index finger began to turn jet black and shiny, before morphing into the barrel of a pistol. The group gasped. "I can transform any part of my body into any form of barrelled weapon. I have to admit, your friend put up a good fight. Those plants were really irritating, but I managed to land a lucky shot to bring him to his knees."

"I said I wasn't finished with you!" Usopp shouted as he grunted from the pain in his leg.

"Usopp, don't! You need to rest your leg. You fought well." Chopper said.

"Chopper. Get back in the tank with Usopp and Nami and go back to the ship. I'll handle this idiot. He clearly has no idea who I am." Luffy grinned but, then Nami put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm joining you in this one." she smiled. Luffy at first wanted to protest, but as he thought for a moment, he smiled back.

"Ok. Just promise you won't get hurt." Nami nodded before assembling her Clima-tact.

"Ten figure SHOT!" Slim morphed all eight of fingers and both his thumbs into pistol barrels before firing. Unsparingly, the bullets hit Luffy's body only to rebound.

"Do you even know who I am?" he grinned. "I'm a rubberman!"

"WHAT?! You have devil fruit powers too?!" Slim asked in shock.

"WHAT KIND OF MORON ARE YOU?!" Nami, Chopper, Usopp and Blizzard shouted.

"Actually, I can't really blame him. My wanted poster doesn't mention my powers." Luffy said. "It's almost like…he got scammed." Luffy grinned before slowly walking towards the bounty hunter, pounding his fist into his palm. Despite the fact Slim was now shaking like a leaf, he tried turning his limbs into several firearms. Cannons, rifles, Gatling guns, shot guns, but all proved futile against the rubberman who began to stretch his fist back.

"GUM GUUUUUUM…!" he began.

"I surrender." Slim shouted quickly, but it was too late.

"PISTOL!" **POW!** Luffy's fist connected with the hunter's jaw sending him shooting backwards and hitting the side of the Brachio Tank, leaving him knocked out.

"YEAH! That's from the Straw Hats!" Usopp laughed.

"Man what a let-down. I can't believe a guy with the power of guns, had no idea you were made of rubber, Luffy." Nami sighed.

"Shishishi~! Oh the anvil of irony." Luffy chuckled. "But enough of that, let's go home."

"Roger that, Private." Usopp grinned as Chopper helped him back into the tank, before climbing in himself, while Luffy and Nami both climbed onto Blizzard. As the group began to make their way back to the ship, Luffy sighed.

"Again, I'm really sorry I got you into this mess. If Usopp and I hadn't started all this scamming and I hadn't been so stupid like I always am, you would have never got captured."

"Luffy, please, don't beat yourself up. This is my fault. I was stupid to follow that guy. I mean just look at me! A complete stranger tells me he has money for me and I follow him into a warehouse?! That's the kind of lesson you teach little kids not to do. And also, the scamming was a good idea. I was wrong to doubt you guys and you really helped the crew out quite a jam. I had fun too and if we ever have to scam again…I'll look forward to it."

"You mean you're not mad at me for being an idiot?"

"Luffy, you may be a bit thick in the head, but you're not an idiot. If you were do you think you would have been able to master your Gum-gum powers, or all three forms of Haki, or gather the greatest crew in the world, or most of all…make me fall in love with you." She then hugged her Captain warmly from behind and kissed his cheek. "You may be a dummy, but you're my dummy, and I wouldn't want you any other way." Luffy smiled warmly as he kissed her sweetly.

"Thanks Nami. You always know how to make me happy."

"Amen to that, brother. Amen to that." Usopp praised as clapped his hands together. While many events may occur out in the Grand Line, there are two things you must never forget. Expect the unexpected, and should you ever meet a scammer, be sure to scam them back.

The End


	8. Luffy's Bad Day

After waking up form a mad dream, Luffy ends up having the most excruciating and irritating day of his life, and when none of the crew were there for him, they decide to cheer him up, but that's not going to be easy when their captain's about as angry as a bull wearing a red blindfold.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

* * *

When Luffy opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a large open meadow with a clear blue river winding through it. He looked around and smiled at the beautiful scene unfolded before him.

"Wow. This island's b-e-a-utiful~! I wonder where the others are? Come to think of it, when did we even get here? I would have been able to spot this island a mile away. In fact, where's the ship?! Oh no I must be lost. Dammit, I'm becoming more like Zoro every day." But as Luffy began to think, a large cloud of smoke suddenly blew into him. **COUGH!-COUGH!-HACK!** The black haired man coughed heavily as he tried to get the smoke out his lungs, but as he looked up he gasped. Sanji was standing in front of him, only the chef was about a hundred feet high and was currently taking a drag on his cigarette. Noticing his miniscule captain, he glared at him.

"It was you who stole the meat from yesterday, wasn't it, Luffy?" he said in a slow but booming voice, before he began to lift his foot, causing the latter to rapidly wave his hands in defence.

"No!-No!-No!-No!-No! C-Can't we talk this over?!" **BOOM!** Luffy had to jump away to avoid the enormous black shoe from crushing him. Left with no other choice, he ran, with Sanji in hot pursuit.

"You get back here, you little thief!" he roared.

"No way! If I let you catch up, you're gonna make mulch out of me!" Luffy shouted until he suddenly bumped into something soft causing him to bounce backwards. Looking up, he found himself staring at a large pair of breasts, which of course belonged to none other than his girlfriend and secret fiancé, Nami, who was lying in front of him on her stomach and was now also a giant.

"Hi, sweetie. What happened to you?" she smiled.

"What happened to me?! What happened to- oh what does it matter? Nami, you've gotta help me! Sanji's gone nuts and he's trying to squash me!"

"Sanji? But Sanji's not here." The giant Nami said.

"What are you talking about? He's right the-"but as Luffy turned around to point to the giant cook who'd been pursuing him, he found only empty space.

"But…he was right…"

"Luffy are you feeling okay? You don't look well. Maybe you should see Chopper."

"M…maybe you're right." Luffy mumbled as he rubbed his head, seemingly forgetting that his girlfriend was now over ten stories high.

"Oh, come here. Let me give you a kiss." Nami cooed as she pursed her lips slightly and began to lean towards him.

"Whoa!-Whoa! Hold on, Nami. You're too big! You'll end up sucking me into your mouth." As he backed away from her.

"Aww that's too bad." She pouted before smiling again. "Well at least let me blow you one." she added before kissing her palm and taking a deep breath.

"No wait!" **BLOW!** As the navigator gently blew the large kiss at her captain, a powerful gust sent him flying back across the field and far away from Nami until he hit something else that was also soft. However, what he'd hit seemed fluffier than Nami and a bit hairy. Luffy turned around to see an enormous Blizzard sitting in front of him.

"BLIZZARD! Boy am I glad to see you!" Luffy said as he hugged his dog's leg. "Everything's completely upside down. Everybody's turned into a giant and I have no idea where I am. What's going on?" the large wolf-dog looked at his master for a moment before licking his chops hungrily, causing Luffy's eyes to widen in fear. "Blizzard? Buddy? You're not thinking about eating me, are you?" he grinned in terror. The wolf-dog only licked his lips again. "I thought so. Bye!" Luffy added quickly before dashing off, Blizzard tailing behind him. Luffy ran and ran until he suddenly hit the side of a large mountain that seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Blizzard, come on, you wouldn't eat me. It's me, Luffy! You're best friend!" the captain begged, but before Blizzard could pounce on him, several small shots hit the wolf-dog, exploding on impact. **BOOM!-BOOM!-BOOM!-BOOM!** Blizzard whimpered as the attacks hit him before he turned tail and galloped off.

"Who the hell was that?" Luffy asked no one in particular, before looking up again to see a figure standing on top of the mountain, pointing to the sky. A yellow mask gleamed in the sun, and Luffy gasped in happiness. "SOGEKING~!" he cheered at the arrival of his idol who looked down, noticing him, but didn't speak. "Thanks a lot; you came here to save me. You're so awesome~!" the sniper king looked at Luffy for a moment before he took a flying leap off the mountain and began to dive down towards him. As he drew closer, Luffy noticed him reel his hand back to reveal an impact dial attached to his palm. Once again, terrified, he began to back away.

"No! Please! Sogeking, not you too! I'm your friend!" but before he could say another word, Sogeking thrust the dial at Luffy's face.

"IMPACT!" and the last thing Luffy saw, was a flash of light and a deafening **BANG!**

XXX  
**THUD!** Luffy awoke with a start to find himself lying on the floor of his and Nami's room.

"Who?! What the-?! Whe-?!...Oh. Of course. It was all a dream. Blizzard wouldn't eat me. And there's no way Sogeking would attack me. He's a hero." As Luffy got to his feet, he noticed that Nami was no longer in bed, but just then, his nose caught the faint smell of food and he could also just hear the voices of his crew talking. He gasped.

"Oh god! No! No god, please, please tell me I haven't!" he panicked as he scrambled up the ladder that led to the women's quarters, out the door and around to the kitchen only to find, much to his dismay, the rest of his crew sitting together at the table already eating. They all turned to face him.

"Finally made it, huh Luffy? You're only forty-five minutes late." Zoro chuckled.

"But…"

"You know the rules, Luffy. You were late so you get no breakfast. Now buzz off." Sanji said.

"Come on Sanji, gimme a break~"

"I'll break your arm if you don't get out of my hair. Now piss off!" Luffy growled at Sanji before facing Nami.

"Nami, why didn't you wake me up? Ever since we started sharing a room, you always make sure I don't miss breakfast."

"I'm sorry Luffy. It's just you looked like you were having a nice dream. I didn't want to ruin it for you." She said apologetically.

"Nice?! It was insane. You, Blizzard and Sanji were all giants. Sanji tried to squash me and Blizzard tried to eat me! And then Sogeking showed up and hit me with an impact dial and then I woke up and fell out of bed in the process. It was awful!" Luffy ranted.

"So what did I do?" Nami asked.

"You blew a kiss at me and sent me flying, cause you were so big. But that's not the point!"

"I know what you mean, Luffy. In my dream, Blizzard thought my nose was a hot dog and tried to bite it off. Plus Brook was playing the bagpipes and hopping on one foot while singing a song about shrimps. Also, Blizzard could talk. You said some pretty mean things." Usopp said to the wolf dog, who whined as if to say, 'I'm sorry', the rest of the crew staring at the sniper a bit surprised that his dream seemed madder than their captain's. Luffy stared at his crew before huffing angrily and storming out. This wasn't turning out to be a good morning at all.

XXX

Despite the fact that Nami managed to sneak Luffy a pancake after she'd left the table, it was nowhere near enough to fill even an inch of the boy's ravenous rubber stomach. As of now he'd been casually lying on the deck, occasionally rolling back and forth across the grass to try and entertain himself, or to put it more accurately, ignore the hunger gnawing at his belly. The mad desire for food driving him more and more to attack Sanji and demand the combination to the fridge.

"Urgh! Staaaarrrviiiiinnngg~!" he groaned as he crossed his legs over, still trying to ignore the hunger or the evil part of his conscience attempting to persuade him to assault Sanji for the code. But as he sat up, he noticed Chopper approaching him.

"Oh thank god, a distraction. This oughta keep my mind and tummy off food for a bit." He thought. "What's up, Chopper?" he then said.

"Luffy, could you come and help me in the sick bay, please?"

"Sure." Luffy replied as he followed his little friend into the sick bay. "So what do you need me for?"

"My shelves are getting a bit cluttered. I'm going to pass down some bottles to you and then you put them in this crate so I can move them to the storage room." Chopper explained as he climbed onto his desk and reached for the first bottle of medicine which he handed to Luffy, who then put it in the box. The two continued to move the bottles from the shelf to the crate, but as Chopper reached for the next one, a wasp, which had flown in from the kitchen, buzzed in front of him sending the little reindeer into a panic.

"AAAAAAAHHH! WASP~!" Chopper screamed as he swatted madly at the bug which flew away, but as he did, he accidentally knocked the bottle he was reaching for off the shelf, which fell towards Luffy. **SPLISH!** The captain was the dowsed in a shower of brown liquid, causing him to fall backwards onto the floor in shock.

"GAH! What is this stuff?! IT REEKS~!" Luffy cried as he tried to wipe off the brown stinking, liquid.

"Luffy, I'm so sorry." Chopper apologised, who was currently clamping his hooves over his little blue nose. He looked like he was about to faint. "That was the potion I developed for Usopp's new Stink stars. It's made from eggs, skunk balm and ground up Rafflesia pop greens."

"I don't care what it's made off, just make it stop smelling or I'm gonna throw up!" Luffy yelled angrily and he covered his nose, only to pull his hands away and groan again since they were covered in the potion as well.

"You'll need to go and take a bath, Luffy. And a long one. It'll take a lot of water and soap to get rid of the stink." Chopper said.

"You don't have to tell me twice, pal." Luffy grunted as he ran out of the sick bay.

"Again, I'm really sorry Luffy. It was an accident." Chopper called as Luffy disappeared. "This just isn't his day today." He then sighed to himself.

XXX

Luffy staggered into the bathroom and turned on the taps in the bath as he impatiently waited for it to fill. But as he put a foot in, he immediately leapt back and shivered violently.

"JUMPING ICE CUBES~! IT'S FREEZING~! BRRRR!" he shivered before grumbling and pulling out the plug. "Great, so now there's no hot water. I'm not waiting for an hour for Franky to heat up the water. Looks like I'll need Nami's help for this one." After grimly putting his now foul smelling clothes back on, he made his way to the library. As he entered, he found Nami beginning her latest map. Immediately noticing the smell, she pinched her nose tightly and turned to face Luffy.

"Luffy what the hell is wrong with you?! You stink! Go clean yourself up!" she shouted as she groaned from the stench.

"It's not my fault! Chopper spilled a stink potion on me and I was going to take a bath, but there's no hot water, and I'm not waiting for Franky to heat up the boiler, so can you please make me one of those shower clouds you like to use? Please?"

"Oh, Luffy I'm sorry. I didn't know. Yes, of course I will." Nami said as she followed Luffy back to the bathroom and pointed her Clima Tact at the ceiling. "Shower Tempo!" **PLIP!** A small rain cloud emerged form the tip of Nami's Clima Tact and floated above the bathtub. "There you go, Luffy. That should give you all the warm water you need."

"Thanks a lot, Nami. Really, thank you. I can't take this stink much longer." Luffy said.

"It's okay, babe. I know you've had a rough morning, but it'll work out eventually. I promise." Nami said before taking her leave. Luffy smiled after her, before taking his clothes off again and stepping under the cloud which began to rain on him. As he showered, he had to admit, the warm water was very soothing, and he actually began to feel less grumpy than he was this morning.

"Maybe Nami's right. Perhaps my day will get better eventually." He said to himself, as the scrubbed his arms and rinsed his hair, until the cloud stopped raining, when he was finished. But as he stepped out to reach for a towel, he noticed someone hanging outside the window of the bathroom.

"AAAAHH! PEEPING TOM!" he cried but as he tried back away he slipped on the wet tiles, sending him falling backwards and banging his head hard on the tiled floor. **BANG!** "OW! DAMMIT, MY HEAD!" he cried as he clutched his now very sore head and kicked his legs back and forth.

"Hey, you okay, Straw hat?" the spying figure asked. Recognising the voice, Luffy shakily picked himself up, remembering to wrap his towel around his waist, before seeing that it was Franky hanging outside the window.

"FRANKY?! What the hell are you doing out there spying on me?! What's wrong with you?!" Luffy yelled, furiously.

"Sorry, Luffy. I didn't know you were in there. The wall outside has a dent in it from a past battle. I was just repairing it." The cyborg apologised.

"Urgh! Never mind." Luffy grumbled as he walked out of the bathroom to continue his terrible day, still clutching the back of his throbbing head, where a lump was starting to form.

XXX

As Luffy made his way back out onto the deck, he decided to go and see what Usopp was up to, hoping that spending some time talking to his friend would take his mind off his stomach which had started complaining again. He opened the hatch in the deck, before climbing down the ladder to the soldier dock system and making his way down the corridor to find Usopp tinkering with some sort of weapon in his factory. Sensing Luffy's presence, he looked up and smiled.

"Hey Luffy. How's it going?"

"Not well. I've had a very bad morning. As you know, I had a crazy dream, fell out of bed and missed breakfast, but then I got splashed by that stink potion Chopper was making for you."

"Oh sorry, man. That must've been nasty." Usopp said.

"Yes, but then when I went to take a bath, there was no hot water, so Nami had to make me one of those shower clouds of hers. But then after I finished my shower, Franky appeared outside the window, since he was fixing one of the walls. I got a fright and slipped and banged my head." Luffy said before pointing to the large lump on the back of his head.

"Damn. Today just isn't your day." Usopp said as he took a sip of water from the glass on his desk, before going back to tinkering. Intrigued, Luffy wandered over to see what the sniper was inventing.

"So whatcha doin'?" Luffy asked.

"I'm trying to develop a new way of using an impact dial that doesn't harm the user." Usopp explained as he attached the dial to some form of metal glove, which he then put on his hand, before facing Luffy.

"Okay, Luffy. Gimme a Gum Gum Bazooka." He grinned.

"Really?"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Come on. Gimme your best shot." Usopp said reassuringly. Luffy shrugged his shoulders before stretching his arms back.

"GUM….GUUUUM…BAZOOKA!" **VWOOM!** As his hands hit the dial, the impact was immediately sucked into it.

"Great. Now to test it out." Usopp grinned as turned to face a test dummy which he'd set up in the factory. He then reeled his palm back before thrusting it towards the dummy. "IMPACT!" but as the shell touched the dummy, nothing seemed to happen.

"What the…" Usopp said, confused as he tapped the metallic glove, but at that moment, the contraption began to spark and jolt. "IT'S GONNA BLOW!" he screamed before taking the glove off and throwing it at the dummy. **KABOOM!** The blast sent both Usopp and Luffy flying backwards and hitting the wall, as the impact dial was blown off of the glove and rolled around on the floor. Luffy groaned as he sat up, rubbing his head.

"Looks like it's back to the drawing board, huh Usopp." He said, but just then, he heard what sounded like a growl. He slowly turned around to see Usopp's Kabuto had grown into its Chomping Grass form, since the glass of water had splashed onto it during the explosion. The large plant/weapon growled at Luffy before it lunged at him. **CHOMP!** It bit down on the captain, trapping his top half in its mouth.

"HELP! GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!" Luffy screamed as he tried to pull himself out of the hungry plant's mouth. Usopp slowly sat up, a dazed look on his face, before shaking his head.

"Wha…What happened? LUFFY!" he shouted as he noticed his friend being eaten. He quickly grabbed a plank before running over to his slingshot and began bashing the plank again the plant's head. **BONK! BONK! BONK!** "NO! Bad Kabuto! Spit him out right now!" the plant looked at the sniper for a moment before spitting Luffy out of its mouth. **P'TOO!** Luffy was sent tumbling across the ground, gasping for air and covered from head to waist in green slime.

"Usopp, what the hell is wrong with that weed?! Why would it try to eat me?! Now I'm covered in plant slobber!"

"Sorry, Luffy. Sometimes Kabuto can get a bit frisky when he's hungry." Usopp said as he patted the plant's head which then shrank back into its mini form. But no sooner had this happened, an earth shaking rumble sound throughout the room. "What was that?! Did a Sea King show up?!"

"No it's my stomach! In case you've forgotten, I haven't eaten all morning. I'm dying over here!" Luffy groaned.

"Oh yeah you're right. Hold on." Usopp said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a large handful of sweets. "Here. You haven't eaten a thing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Think of it as my way of saying sorry for Kabuto trying to eat you." Luffy stared at the brightly coloured treats in his friend's hand. He knew that he'd run the risk of getting a stomach-ache if he ate too much candy, but his roaring belly seemed to be yelling louder than his thoughts. Ignoring any other option, Luffy gratefully took the offering from Usopp before heading back to the deck. Surely, at least a sweet treat would brighten his bad day up a little, right? RIGHT?!

XXX

Wrong.

"Uuuuhhh my tummy~!" Luffy groaned as he clutched his now aching stomach. Just as he'd expected, his sweet tooth got the better of him and now, the poor raven haired boy was in deep pain. As he staggered back to the library, knowing that his only cure was still there, he knocked.

"Come in." Luffy opened the door to find Nami still working on her map.

"Luffy, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Stomach-ache."

"But where'd you get candy?" Nami questioned.

"Well…um…funny story. See, I went to talk to Usopp and he was trying to make a new invention but it blew up and spilt some water on his slingshot, so it turned into that big man-eating plant form, and then it saw me and tried to eat me. So…Usopp kind of gave me some sweets to say sorry."

"Oh Usopp." Nami sighed irritably.

"So…could you give me a tummy rub, please?"

"Oh, Luffy. I'd love to, I really would. It's just, I'm really busy right now. I have a lot of drawing to do. I'm afraid I'm not gonna be able to give you a tummy rub right now. I'm really sorry." Despite the fact that Luffy managed to keep an understanding smile on his face, inside, he was screaming with rage.

"That's okay. I'll just go and endure the pain." He said, through gritted teeth, as he slowly stepped backwards out of the library.

"I really am sorry, sweetheart. I know you're having a very bad day, but I promise I'll make it up to you." Nami apologised.

"No, you don't have to. It's not your fault. You have nothing to make up for. I don't want to be a nuisance." Luffy said, still wearing his forced grin.

"You're not being a nuisance. You're just down on your luck. I promise, once I'm done with my map, I'll do anything I can to cheer you up." Nami said before crossing her finger over the chest. "Cross my heart." Luffy felt his own heart warm up over the sweet gesture, before smiling for real this time, and crossing his finger over his scar, before taking his leave.

_"She always knows how to give me hope. I'm so lucky to have someone like her. I can't wait to marry her."_ He thought. But as he made his way towards the crow's nest to begin his watch, he suddenly felt his sandal step on something. Something soft and squishy, almost like mud. "Weird, I don't remember, the deck getting muddy. What could have…" but before Luffy could finish his sentence, he soon noticed what it was he'd stepped in. Something very bad that Blizzard had decided to leave on deck. As Luffy looked down grimly at the mess his foot was now in, he slowly inhaled and sighed, doing his very best to ignore the foul smell that had reached his nose. But then, he started to chuckle. While on first glance, you'd think he was just thinking of something funny, he was chuckling in anger, and he was about flip his lid. Luffy continued to chuckle madly before taking a deep breath and screaming a single word so loud, it would scare a school of Sea Kings.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMNN~!"

XXX

About a mile away, a marine battleship was currently delivering supplies back to one of its bases, but just then, one of the men stopped working as he heard a sound not far off to the west.

"Hey. Did you hear something?" he said to one of his comrades.

"No. What did it sound like?"

"Like…an angry yell. On the portside." The marine said before he walked over to the rail and pulled out his spyglass before looking to the west, before spotting a small shape on the horizon. "Hey, I see a ship about a mile away."

"Can you tell who it is? Is it one of ours?" the other marine asked.

"No, no, it's too small. Wait…the flag! IT'S THE STRAW HATS!"

"The Straw hats?! Alert the commander! We're taking a detour!" the other marine ordered.

"Yes, Sir!"

XXX

Back on the Sunny, Luffy had furiously cleaned his sandal of Blizzard's unmentionable and then made his way to the crow's nest to begin his watch. Despite the fact that the whole crew came out asking him what he was screaming about, all he said back was 'You don't want to know.' As of now, he was sitting on the couch in the nest, miserably looking around for any sign of danger. But at that moment, he spotted a ship approaching the Sunny from the west. After looking through the telescope, he soon discovered it was none other than the marines. He sighed irritably.

"Great. As if my day couldn't get any worse." He said grimly before climbing down out of the crow's nest and over to the rail to see the marine ship pulling up alongside. He faced the commander, with a rather bored expression. It seemed that for once…Luffy didn't feel like fighting.

"What do you losers want?" he said nonchalantly.

"Don't crack wise, pirate. Now tell us where Straw Hat is." The marine commander said. Luffy raised his eyebrow.

"You're kidding right? Tell me you're joking." He said back to the commander. "Tell me. Have you even seen Straw hat's poster before? Do you even know what he looks like? Well let me ask you punks a few questions. Say? Does he have a big friendly grin? Like this?" he said as he flashed his trademark smile. The marines nodded. "Aaaand does he wear a red shirt? Like this one?" he asked, pointing to his shirt, earning another nod. "Aaaand does he wear a straw hat? Like this?" the marines nodded again. "Nope. Never heard of him." Luffy said as he began to walk away before turning right back around, looking absolutely pissed.

"IT'S ME YOU PEA-BRAINED NUMBSKULLS~! THE CLUE'S IN THE HAT!" the marines gasped in realisation. "Honestly. You guys call yourselves marines? How the hell can you be allowed to work in the New World, if you can't even recognise a famous pirate when you see one?!" By this point, the marines were now looking at Luffy in anger from all the insults he'd just given them, but Luffy simply shook his head in disappointment. "You losers aren't even worth fighting, so go bite yourselves!" But as the marines were about to board the Sunny Luffy simply exhaled and looked right at them. **VWEEM~!** His pupil expanded before all the marines began to tremble until every single one of them fell unconscious, foaming at the mouth. Luffy sighed. "What a waste of time. Well let's get this over with." he said before boarding the marine ship, purposely stepping on a few of the men as he passed.

XXX

About ten minutes later, the rest of the crew came out when they heard the sounds of banging and clattering coming from outside. Of course they all gasped when they saw a large pile of chests and bags lying on the deck, but they were even more shocked to see the marine battleship sitting beside them.

"When the hell did that get here?!" Usopp squawked.

"YOHO! I'm so surprised, my eyes may pop out, even though I don't have eyes. Yohohohoho!" Brook said.

"Wasn't it Luffy's watch? Why didn't he tell us a ship showed up?" Sanji asked.

"Maybe the marines caught him and threw him in the sea." Robin assumed. But the crew soon got their answer when Luffy appeared on the marine ship, carrying some large metal contraption on his back.

"What's that he's carrying?" Choppers asked.

"I…I think it's a boiler." Franky said. **SPLASH!** Luffy then threw the boiler off the ship and into the sea.

"There. That settles that." he said in a bored tone as he dusted his hands.

"Luffy, what's going on? When did this ship get here?" Nami called to him.

"Oh, about ten minutes ago actually. But it doesn't matter. The fight finished before it even started."

"Wait, you mean you hogged all the fight to yourself. I really wanted to kick some ass, Luffy." Franky said, slightly disappointed.

"Yeah me too. My swords are getting hungry." Zoro agreed.

"Don't forget me. I finished fixing my weapon. I could have tried it out." Usopp said.

"Well, not today. I knocked them all out with my Haki, took all their money and most of their food. I didn't eat any of it though, since my stomach still hurts. Oh, and I also tore out their boiler so they can't follow us."

"But Luffy, this isn't like you. You usually want us to fight with you." Chopper said.

"_Yeah, this isn't like you at all. You're not depressed again are you?_" Blizzard asked.

"NO! But I am pissed! This has been the WORST day EVER!" Luffy roared.

"Whoa! Easy, Captain. What could have been so bad about it?" Zoro asked.

"Oh? Well let's do a recap, shall we? First I had a bad dream and fell out of bed. Then I missed breakfast, so I ended up starving. Next, Chopper spills a stink potion on me, so I have to go take a bath. But wait, there's no hot water, so Nami has to make me a shower cloud. But after that, Franky appears outside the window and I get a fright and slip and bang my head on the floor. After THAT," he continued, getting even angrier. "Usopp's slingshot tries to eat me, after his new toy blew up. So then he gives me sweets to say sorry, and wouldn't you know it? I get a stomach-ache!" By this point, the crew was becoming a bit intimidated. It wasn't often they saw Luffy this angry. But he wasn't done yet. "AND THEN, Nami's too busy to give me a tummy rub, so I have to wait the pain out, but then when I'm going to start my watch, what happens? I end up stepping in one of Blizzard's unmentionables!" the wolf dog shrank back, in shame, and whined, the rest of the crew looking rather disgusted at him. "And to top all that off, the marines decide to show up, and I can't be bothered fighting, SO, that's why I hogged the whole battle in ten seconds! THERE! That's why this has been the worst day ever! Now, Franky, turn on the cola jet. We're getting out of here." He said as he began to walk away.

"But Luffy-"

"THAT'S AN ORDER!" Luffy snapped at the cyborg before making his way back to the crow's nest, leaving the crew alone.

"Poor Luffy. He really has had a bad day." Chopper said.

"Now I kind of regret not letting him have breakfast this morning." Sanji said.

"No it's my fault. I shouldn't have given him candy. I was just trying to apologise." Usopp confessed.

"_No, if there's anyone to blame it's me. Why did I have to go and do…'that' to him?_" Blizzard said shamefully. "_I'm disgusting._"

"No. It's all our fault. Luffy's gone through hell today and not had any fun at all. We should have been there for him, but we were too stupid to realise it. It's up to us to cheer him up." Nami said. "Especially me."

"But what can we do? You know when Luffy's fed up like this, nothing cheers him up. Not even meat." Chopper said.

"Well there has to be something we can do. We have to cheer him up, one way or another." Brook said, before the crew turned their gaze to Usopp.

"What gives?" he asks.

"Well you're the one with the plans, Usopp. Got any ideas?" Robin asked.

"Hey, I'm not all about ideas! Besides, Chopper's right. It's nearly impossible to cheer Luffy up when he's like this. I got nothing." The crew sat there thinking, until a light flashed in Nami's head, and she smiled.

"I've got it! I know just the thing to put that big smile back on our Captain's face."

"Like what?" Sanji asked.

"Well how does this sound?" Nami began.

XXX

Luffy lay sprawled across the couch, staring at the ceiling. It was six in the evening and he hadn't bothered coming to dinner due to his stomach ache, or to put it more accurately, his fed up attitude. He just didn't feel like eating after all the crap he had to go through. If there were two things he wasn't right now, they were relaxed and cheerful. But at that moment, he heard the latch open and turned to see Nami poke her head through.

"Oh, hey Nami." He said bluntly. "I kinda want to be alone right now."

"No Luffy. We're not going to just leave you here to mope. We know you've had a horrible day, but we want to cheer you up."

"Well that's sweet, but there's no way anything can cheer me up after today. You could give a full roasted Sea King and I wouldn't smile. Sorry Nami, but this has just been too much for me. All I wanna do right now is sleep and hope the next day will be better."

"Well you're not going to be able to sleep peacefully with that attitude, Mister. And as a matter of fact, we do know how to put that smile we love so much, back on your face. Please, if you'll just come to the aquarium bar, I promise you'll leave feeling happier than Chopper in a sweet shop." Luffy stared at her for a moment before sighing.

"Fine. But I'm only doing this cause I have no other options."

"Well actually, you could have chosen to stay here and be grumpy, but you didn't. You do have other options, and you made the right one." Nami said, before giving him a peck on the cheek. "You won't be sorry." Luffy casually followed her to the aquarium bar, to find the rest of crew waiting for them.

"What's going on?" Luffy asked.

"Have a seat, Luffy." Robin said. The former obliged and took a seat beside the archaeologist.

"I'll ask again. What's going on?"

"Luffy. Like I said, we know you've had a very bad day, and you don't deserve that. So we're gonna help you relax, unwind and let all that stress go. We're each going to play our part. Right everyone?" Nami said.

"Right!" the others replied.

"Okay Luffy. Could turn a little to the left so I can reach your back?" Nami asked.

"Why?"

"So I can give you a massage. It's great way to help you relax." Luffy looked at her for a moment before shifting to his left, as Nami reached out and began to gently rub his back and shoulders. He flinched slightly before he began to loosen his muscles, and let out a contented sigh. But at that moment, he felt a pair of hands lift his feet up onto the sofa, discovering it to be Robin who smiled at him.

"While Nami does your back, I'll give you a foot rub." She explained before she began to slowly massage the soles of his feet, causing him to even groan a little from the relaxing treatment, while the rest of the crew chuckled slightly from seeing him smile, Sanji of course doing his best to hold back his anger form seeing his captain getting such a treatment. After Nami and Robin had finished massaging Luffy's muscles, and the captain now feeling a lot less cramped, Franky then flipped a switch, which caused a few coloured lights to appear in the room and mirror ball released from the ceiling.

"Just a few relaxing details I added to the bar." He explained.

"Neat." Luffy complimented. But no sooner had he spoke, Brook picked up his guitar and began to play a smooth, jazzy song on it.

"YOW! Well now that you're all loosened up, Luffy, I think now's the time to cut loose and kick off your Sunday sandals." Luffy grinned at the skeleton before offering Nami his hand, which she immediately took. The two then moved into the centre of the bar before they both began to dance cheerfully to Brook's music.

"Say, that looks like fun." Usopp said before getting up to join them.

"Me too!" Chopper cheered before getting up as well.

"_Don't forget me, little brother._" Blizzard laughed as he went to join Chopper. Within minutes the whole crew was dancing (except for Brook, who was still playing his guitar), Luffy still dancing with Nami, while Zoro danced with Robin. The swordsman was actually a lot better than he others thought he would be. After the song was over and the whole crew was now feeling relaxed, Blizzard then laid down in Luffy's lap while Chopper curled up next to his big brother, pulling his tail around himself like a blanket. Usopp had decided to tell them a story; it was actually about his time on the Boin Archipelago with Heracles, since he never got the chance to tell them it when he first got back. Needless to say, the whole crew even found the truth hard to believe when it came from Usopp.

"Get out of here. You mean to say you ended up getting as fat as a blob fish and yet you came back not only thin again…but with freaking muscles?!" Sanji said in utter disbelief.

"Never mind that! You mean the island you were on was made entirely of food?!" Luffy said, his mouth watering. "Right! Set sail for the Boin Archipelago!"

"Very funny, Luffy." Nami smirked. Not only had Usopp's story helped cheer Luffy up a lot, but Sanji had also prepared Luffy a special snack that was made specifically to help the body relax but also satisfy any amount of hunger. The snack itself consisted of a cake along a cup of special tea that Brook had recommended. After all of this, the captain was now not only relaxed, satisfied and no longer fed up, but most of all, he was cheerful, as if none of the bad things that had happened to him that day had ever occurred. He let a long sleepy yawn, causing the crew to laugh.

"Looks like someone's finally well and truly relaxed and ready to start a new day." Nami smiled before helping Luffy to his feet. "Come on. All you need now is a good long rest."

"Yeah. Thanks Nami, everyone. You really cheered me up. I'm sorry I thought you couldn't."

"No Luffy, we're sorry. It's our job, as your crew to be there for you when you need us. If you're ever feeling fed up again, you just have to tell us. Next time, we promise we'll be ready to help you in any way we can." Zoro said.

"I'll hold your word to it." Luffy grinned. "Goodnight, everyone."

"Goodnight, Luffy." The crew replied, as Luffy and Nami made their way to their room and gently lay down beside each other.

"I really can't thank you guys enough for this. You really knew how to make me smile again." he said to his girlfriend.

"We're always happy to help you, Luffy. You mean more to us than anything in the world, especially to me. That's why we'll always be with you to very end. Even after you've become King, and I've become your Queen." Nami said.

"And you all mean more to me than anything in the world too. If I had to choose between the One Piece or my crew, I'd take you guys in a heartbeat, no, even quicker than that. What's quicker than a heartbeat?" Nami giggled a little at the question.

"I have no idea. But it doesn't matter. What does matter is that you already know what your true treasure is."

"Yep. And I found it at the very beginning." Luff said before embracing Nami warmly. "I love you, Nami."

"I love you too Luffy. My greatest treasure." Nami whispered as the two shared a kiss before slowly drifting off together, both lovers ready to face the next day together. But whether it turned out to be good or bad didn't matter. All that mattered wad that they'd face it together and the rest of their crew, their family, would face it with them as well.

The End


	9. Bedtime for Belle and Hanako

It's bedtime for Belle and Hanako, but the two little pirates don't seem keen on going to bed. Just what will it take to get the tykes tired?

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard, Belle and Hanako belong to XfangheartX**

* * *

It was a quiet evening in the Grand Line, and while it was only nine in the evening and most of the crew were still up, it was unfortunately time for the two youngest members of the crew to go to bed…even if neither felt like it. Those two of course were Monkey D. Belle (age four) and Roronoa Hanako (age nine) and both little pirates were still wide awake and hardly in the mood to go to sleep.

"Come on, Dad~! Can't we stay up a little longer~?" Hanako moaned to his father, Zoro.

"Please, Daddy~?" Belle also whined to her dad, Luffy. Both Fathers simply shook their heads.

"Not a chance, you two. You're lucky you got to stay up this late anyway. Now say good night to the others and get yourselves to bed." Luffy said.

"But that's not fair~! How come you all get to stay up late?" Hanako asked.

"We're grownups. You're kids. There's a difference." Zoro answered. Both children just pouted back, their arms folded.

"Come on, don't give us that look. You two need your rest. If you don't go to bed, then no story." Luffy scolded slightly.

"That's even less fair!" Belle protested. But as the two children and their Fathers continued to argue, they were soon approached by the rest of the crew.

"What's all the commotion?" Sanji asked.

"Oh, just these two don't want to go to bed. Again." Luffy sighed.

"Come on kids, you know the rules." Nami said, her hands on her hips. "Bedtime's at nine, so say goodnight and get ready."

"But bedtime sucks! There's nothing good about it." Hanako huffed.

"Nothing good about it? Don't be silly. Going to sleep at the end of the day is great." Chopper said. "And it's very good for your health." He added.

"It's funny really, how Moss-head Jr is just as lazy as his old man and yet he doesn't want to go to bed when he's told. Talk about irony." Sanji smirked.

"What did you say, dartboard?!" Hanako barked.

"Oh you heard what I said, sport." Sanji grinned back teasingly at his nephew.

"Okay, okay. Enough goofing around." Usopp spoke up as he made his made his way to the front of the group. "Tell you what, kids. If you get yourselves to bed, I'll give you one of my special stories." He proposed.

"Nice try, Uncle Usopp. What makes it so special? You're probably just gonna tell us another adventure that we've heard before." Hanako assumed.

"It's special…cause I've never even told the crew about it." Usopp explained.

"Yeah right. We know all about your tall tales, Uncle Usopp. You're gonna have to do better than that." Belle smiled, smugly. Usopp rubbed his chin as he thought, before clapping his hands.

"Okay, why don't we play a game before bed? Ever heard of truth or dare?"

"Mm-hmm." The two children nodded.

"Okay. I dare you…to change into your pyjamas." Usopp dared. Belle and Hanako both looked at each other, before smirking.

"Alright, Uncle Usopp. We'll go to bed, but you'll have to catch us first!" Belle laughed before the two little pirates dashed off, taking the rest of the crew by surprise.

"Hey get back here, you two!" Luffy called, before sighing. "Damn, they're such a handful sometimes."

"Don't worry, Luffy, I'll handle those two little rug rats." Usopp said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Besides, you and Nami have watch tonight, so I'll take care of Belle and Hanako. Although I may need some help, so Zoro and Blizzard, you're with me." Usopp said.

"You got it, Usopp." Zoro said.

"_Lead the way, Usopp._" Blizzard added, before the trio began their pursuit of the two kids.

"You really think they can handle those two? They're SUPER sneaky for little kids." Franky said.

"Well they are born of some of the greatest pirates in the world. It's only natural that they're sneaky. But don't worry, Usopp, Zoro and Blizzard will be able to get those two to bed or my name's Starling…and it isn't." Robin said.

"She's right. If anyone can catch those rapscallions, it's those three." Brook agreed.

XXX

"Ooookay, now just where are those two hiding?" Usopp said as he, Zoro and Blizzard searched the ship for Belle and Hanako. As of now, they were currently in the soldier dock system and had checked channels one, four and two. But as they were about to leave, Blizzard's ears twitched when he heard the faint sound of a cough, coming from channel three. The wolf-dog smirked before he began to head towards the entrance to the channel, gaining Usopp and Zoro's attention in the process.

"Looks like Blizzard found 'em." The latter grinned as they followed the wolf-dog into the channel to find the shark submerge and for a split second, they noticed a pair of tawny brown eyes peak out of the hatch before quickly disappearing back into the submarine. Zoro smiled and shook his head, but as he began to walk towards the sub, Usopp suddenly held him back.

"Wait, if it's locked, then they'll never come out. They may be little kids, but they're not stupid." He said.

"_He's got a point there._" Blizzard agreed in thought.

"So then how do you propose we get them to come out?" Zoro asked. Usopp smiled and tapped the side of his nose before he raised his hands in a shrug.

"Oh well, I guess there's no way they'll come out from there. That's really quite a shame, cause I was planning on giving them a little treat for almost being able to hide from us." at the mention of 'treat' the hatch opened a crack as Belle and Hanako peered out. Realising what Usopp was up to, Zoro and Blizzard pretended not to notice the children.

"You're right, Usopp. That is too bad. After all, you do happen to have their favourites with you right now. What were they again? Oh yeah! A large fruity lollipop and a red velvet cupcake." And low and behold, Usopp reached into his bag and pulled out a multi coloured lollipop and a round, spongy cupcake with red icing.

"But, since they ran off, I can't give them to them, and I'm not that hungry. Guess I'll just leave them here. With no one around." Usopp improvised. Knowing his niece and nephew were watching (their mouths beginning to water at the sight of their favourite treats) he carefully set the cupcake and lollipop down in front of the shark submerge before he, Zoro and Blizzard slowly walked out of the channel and shut the door. Moments later, the hatch of the submarine opened and Belle and Hanako slowly crept out, before climbing down and creeping over to the treats.

"Hanako, are you sure it's safe?" Belle asked.

"Don't worry, they don't know we're here, let's just grab the treats and get back in submarine. You're not just gonna turn down your favourite snack, are you?" Belle shook her head. "Then come one, before they come back." But as Belle and Hanako picked up the treats and began to move back towards their hiding place, they didn't hear the door of the channel slowly open again to reveal Usopp, Zoro and Blizzard, all wearing evil grins.

"GOTCHA!" In a flash Zoro picked up Hanako and slung him over his shoulder, while Blizzard picked up Belle in his teeth by the back of her shirt. Usopp meanwhile managed to catch the cake and lolly which Belle and Hanako had dropped.

"YOU TRICKED US!" Belle and Hanako yelled and they tried to wrestle out of Zoro and Blizzard's grip.

"That's right. I knew you couldn't resist your favourites." Usopp grinned as he held up the treats.

"That's just mean, Uncle Usopp. Luring us out with our favourite snacks and then not letting us have them." Belle huffed.

"I never said you couldn't have them." Usopp said. "If you two go get changed, I'll let you have the treats." A big smile immediately spread across the children's faces, as they reached out to take the treats, but Usopp pulled away quickly. "Promise?"

"We promise." They both said, their heads bowed, causing Usopp to smile.

"Then let's go." Usopp said as he handed Hanako the lollipop and Belle the cupcake, as the two little pirates joyfully wolfed them down before sprinting off to their room, leaving Usopp, Zoro and Blizzard alone.

"Well that worked a treat. No pun intended." Zoro said.

"Hmm-hmm, yeah. Gets 'em every time." Usopp chuckled. "But anyway, let's head back to the bar. They'll have to meet us there."

"_For some reason, I can't help thinking those two aren't beat yet._" Blizzard thought.

XXX

As Usopp, Zoro and Blizzard arrived back at the aquarium bar, they found the rest of the crew waiting for them.

"So did you find them?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah, we found 'em. They'll be here shortly." Zoro said.

"So how'd you catch them?" Nami asked.

"I lured them out with their favourite treats. Then I gave them to them and they went off to get changed." Usopp said.

"You…gave them treats?" Nami asked.

"Yep."

"Sorry, I don't think I was clear enough. I'll say it again. You gave them treats?" Nami repeated.

"What's the big deal? They won't get a stomach-ache." Zoro said.

"No they won't get a stomach-ache, but they will get-"

"PIKACHUUUUUU~!" a high pitched voice suddenly sounded, making the crew jump before Belle and Hanako came charging into the aquarium bar, dressed in their Pikachu pyjamas, and began chasing each other in circles, giggling like monkeys.

"-sugar rush~." Nami groaned as she held her palm against her face.

"Oh, dammit! Why didn't I think of that?! I'm such an idiot!" Usopp roared as he banged his head on the wall in frustration.

"THUNDERBOLT!" Hanako shouted as he pretended to shoot lighting out of his hands.

"IRON TAIL!" Belle laughed, swinging her lightning bolt tail back and forth.

"Now what do we do? They're SUPER wired." Franky moaned with his hand against his forehead.

"I'll go make them some warm milk. That oughta calm them down." Sanji said as he went off to the kitchen, while Robin managed to get a hold of Belle and Hanako with her extra hands.

"Hey put us down, Aunt Robin~. We're not done playing~." Belle said.

"Yeah, come on, Mum~." Hanako whined as well.

"I don't think so. You two have had enough fun for one day." Robin said. "Now after you've had your milk, we want you to go to bed." She said softly.

"But we're not sleepy~!" Belle and Hanako complained.

"Oh you'll be sleepy soon enough." Sanji said as he returned with two warm glasses of milk. "Drink up."

"Thanks, Uncle Sanji." Belle and Hanako said before they both gulped down the warm soothing milk, letting out a satisfied sigh when they'd finished. The crew chuckled at the little white moustaches left on their faces by the milk.

"Feel better?" Luffy asked.

"We're still not sleepy, Daddy." Belle said.

"Well at least come and get your teeth brushed." Nami said as she stood up and led them to the bathroom.

"Do you want me to brush your teeth for you?" Nami asked Belle.

"I can brush my teeth all by myself, Mummy." Belle pouted as she took her toothbrush from Nami before squirting the toothpaste onto it and began to brush her teeth, but she still ended up getting a fair amount of the minty foam around her mouth, making both Belle and Hanako laugh.

"OH NO SHE'S GOT RABIES~!" Hanako laughed as he put on a frightened face.

"Cut it out, moss head!" Belle huffed, her face bright red, as she spat out the toothpaste and wiped her mouth.

"Ok-ok, let's just go back so you can say goodnight to the others." Nami said as they made their way back to the aquarium bar.

"Alright you two. Say goodnight and then off to bed." Zoro said.

"But we're still not sleepy, Dad." Hanako said.

"Tell us a story, Uncle Usopp." Belle suddenly said as she ran over to the sniper and hugged his leg.

"Yeah, tell us a story, Uncle Usopp." Hanako repeated.

"Please~?" they both said, putting on their cutest faces. Usopp looked at the rest of the crew who were all smiling.

"Yeah, go on Usopp. I think we could all use a story." Luffy said. The sniper smiled back before patting the couch. Getting his message, Belle and Hanako climbed onto the couch and curled up on either side of him.

"Okay then. Once upon a time, on a faraway island, a young princess, by the name of Chihiro lived with her family in a great castle. Despite the fact her family loved her very much and that she was allowed to visit the townspeople, Chihiro couldn't help but feel that something was missing in her life. Something she needed to make her whole. And then, one day, the answer to her question came…even though she didn't realise it at first. While she was taking a walk on the shore, she found a young man named Agito washed ashore among the remains of a boat, along with his faithful dog, Dust. Concerned for their safety, she took the boy and the dog back to her home with her and nursed them back to health." As the crew listened intently to Usopp's story, Belle couldn't help finding Chihiro and Agito somewhat familiar.

"When Agito awoke, he found himself staring into the deep brown eyes of the woman who'd saved him." Usopp continued. "When Chihiro asked him who he was and where he came from, he found it hard to speak, over how beautiful the princess was. Eventually he managed to tell her his name and that in fact, he was pirate who'd nearly drowned in a storm. Upon hearing this, Chihiro became frightened over his identity and tried to run from him, believing all pirates to be heartless murderers. But before she got too far away, Agito explained that he wasn't evil and to allow him to explain himself. Though unconvinced, Chihiro decided to let him speak. It turned out that Agito had gone out to sea with Dust to gather a crew and go on many adventures. This seemed to change Chirhiro's view on him and she seemed rather surprised over how full of life the boy and his dog were. For fear that her parents may execute him if they found out what he was; she decided to keep silent about Agito being a pirate. For the next few weeks, Agito and Dust lived with Chihiro and her family, who decided to let them stay with them. And as time went by, the princess and pirate grew closer and closer together. Agito in particular had fallen in love with Chihiro, but he was too afraid to confess to her for fear that she'd reject him for not being of royalty, but little did he know that Chirhiro actually felt the same way, but was also afraid to confess because she feared her parents would be ashamed for her abandoning her ways as a princess. But one day a villager came to the palace with a bounty poster. It turns out that the poster had Agito's face on it. His cover had been blown."

"Oh no! Did he die?!" Belle gasped.

"Just listen, Belle." Usopp said, before continuing. "Before Agito or Chihiro had a chance to explain anything, the former, along with Dust were immediately arrested and locked in the deepest cell in the palace. The two pirates were kept in their prison for up to five days, awaiting their execution. All the while Chihiro felt her heart and her happiness shrivel form the pain of being separated from the first man she'd ever loved. But just when things couldn't seem to get any worse for the poor girl, the village fell under attack from an army of evil pirates. The guards of the palace fought as hard as they could, but the pirates were too powerful for them. But when all hope seemed lost, the king made a proposition to Agito and Dust: defeat the pirates and you'll earn your freedom. They accepted. As much as Chihiro pealed for him to not go and risk his life, Agito promised that he would never leave before he suddenly captured her lips with his own, confessing his love to her. As Agito and dust began to fight off the pirates, Chihiro was amazed by just how powerful the two of them were. It turns out that Agito had gained his bounty by defeating several, more powerful pirates on his journeys, but the difference was, that he'd only defeated them in order to help others, be it freeing a village form slavery, saving people who'd helped him and Dust out of scrapes, or just because he hated seeing scum take advantage of the weak and innocent. However, the fact that he'd defeated the pirates made him more powerful than them, and to the government, made him more dangerous, which was why they'd set a bounty on him, as confusing as it sounded to Chihiro."

"But that's like what happened to Daddy." Belle spoke up. "All Daddy and you guys did ever did was help people and yet the marines want you dead. It doesn't make sense."

"I know it doesn't, sweetheart." Luffy said. "But it doesn't matter cause because they'll never ever catch us or any of the other good pirates we know."

"Anyway," Usopp continued once again. "As Agito and Dust defeated the last of the pirates, they were then approached by the captain of the crew. A monstrous man who swore he wouldn't leave the island until both Agito and Dust's heads were in his hands. But what they didn't know was that the captain held the powers of a devil fruit. With that, his body began to change shape. He grew a thick coat of grey fur with black spots, and his teethe grew longer and sharper, while his eyes turned a bright gold."

"He ate a Zoan type, like Uncle Chopper." Hanako realised.

"That's right, the Cat-Cat fruit: Snow Leopard model. The vicious cat lashed out towards the two pirates in his hybrid form, managing to land a lucky hit on Agito and sending him rolling across the ground. But as the captain was about to attack Agito while he was down, the unthinkable happened. Dust leapt in front of his master and took the hit!"

"NO DUST!" Belle cried.

"As his loyal dog fell to the ground, Agito felt a great burst of anger and strength rise up from within him. He charged straight towards the captain, and with the speed of a bullet he landed a hard punch straight to the captain's jaw and sent him shooting backwards, but he wasn't done yet. He kept coming with punches and kicks sending the ferocious pirate further and further towards the pier before with all his strength, he grabbed him by his legs and swung him around like a lasso until finally flinging him far out to see where he was immediately swallowed by a Sea King."

"YAY!" Belle, Hanako and Chopper cheered.

"And he finally collapsed from exhaustion, the last thing he saw before passing out, was the face of Chihiro running to his side. After two days of being comatose, Agito awoke to find Dust, fully treated of his injuries lying asleep beside him. The pirate was overjoyed to see his best friend was still alive, but his joy only grew further when he saw Chihiro sleeping in a chair beside his bed. As she awoke to see her beloved alive and well she instantly tackled him in a hug and kissed him joyfully, both of them now fully aware of their love for each other. As promised, the King granted Agito and Dust their freedom, but Agito couldn't find it in his heart to leave Chihiro. Not only that, but Chihiro had finally realised that what she'd been missing in her life all along was someone to spend it with. And so it was that the two of them, along with Dust decided to set out together and have an adventure of their own and though Chihiro's family were sad to see her go, she promised to always come back and see them again. And even though this may have been the end of Chihiro's life as a princess, it was only just the beginning…of her life as a free, adventurous pirate. The end." The Star-hats applauded Usopp as he took a small bow.

"Great story Usopp. I really liked that one." Luffy said.

"It was all about Mum and Dad, wasn't it?" Belle said.

"What, do you mean Belle? I met your Father in a whole different way. He fell right out of the sky in front of me, remember?" Nami said.

"I still feel like Agito and Chihiro remind me of you. You both met, and at first you didn't want anything to do with Daddy cause you hated pirates. But after you got to know, Daddy you fell in love with him, and he fell in love with you. And it was only after he saved your village that you knew he was the man you wanted to spend your life with." Belle said.

"Wow. That's a really good analysis, Belle. I bet you're going to be a great story teller, someday too." Usopp grinned as he ruffled her hair.

"Thanks, Uncle Usopp."

"So, are you two finally ready for bed?" Zoro asked.

"Well…can we have just one more thing? Then we'll definitely be ready, Dad." Hanako said.

"Well what else, could you need?" Sanji asked.

"Could you please sing us a song, Uncle Brook?" Hanako asked.

"Yohohoho! Why of I would, Hanako. Anything for my Niece and Nephew." Brook laughed before taking out his violin. "I think a nice soothing song is just the right thing to send you off to sleep." With that he then began to slowly play Bink's Sake on his violin, gently singing the lyrics.

"**~Yohohoho yohohoho!  
Yohohoho yohohoho!  
Yohohoho yohohoho!  
Yohohoho yohohoho~!**

~Well deliver Bink's Sake  
Oceans breeze shall guide the way  
Sailing forth atop the waves  
Across the briny deep~

~The evening sun is dancing high  
Painting circles in the sky  
As it sinks the song of birds  
Ring out across the sea~!

~The hometown port is far behind  
Out of sight but not of mind  
Smiling wide our joyous song  
Will boom toward the shore~

~Waves crash and they lose their hold  
On sprays of silver and of gold  
We pass this by upon our course  
Toward the oceans end~!

~Well deliver Binks Sake  
Causing trouble all the way  
The pirate's life upon the sea  
We've chosen one and all~

~When it's time to rest our heads  
The seas our pillows and our beds  
We proudly bear the skull and bones  
Upon our flags and sails~!

~Raging in the far off sky  
A violent tempest we can spy  
Beat the drums our marry ship  
Shall dance atop the waves~!

~Don't let fear control your head  
Or you may find yourself dead  
So hold your ground and come the morn  
You'll greet the rising sun~

~Yohohoho yohohoho!  
Yohohoho yohohoho!  
Yohohoho yohohoho!  
Yohohoho yohohoho~!

~Well deliver Bink's Sake  
All along its merry way  
Our journey shall take weeks and days  
But never feel too long~

~Waving our goodbyes to friends  
Whom well never see again  
Don't despair for they'll be there  
Forever in our dreams~!

~Well deliver Bink's Sake  
Booming song shall clear the way  
Adventure HO! Well go while singing  
Songs about the sea~

One day well meet Davy Jones  
And on that day well turn to bones  
Until that day we'll wander in our  
Never-Ending tale!

~Yohohoho yohohoho!  
Yohohoho yohohoho!  
Yohohoho yohohoho!  
Yohohoho yohohoho~!

"

As Brook finished the last lyric and gently set down his violin, he patiently waited for a short applause, but when it didn't come and he turned his head, he chuckled warmly. The whole crew had fallen fast asleep from the skeleton's song. Belle and Hanako were still curled up on either side of Usopp who was snoring gently. Luffy had his arm wrapped around Nami who turn was resting her head on his chest. Zoro and Robin were likewise. Sanji was lying across one of the couches with his hands behind his head, while Franky had actually fallen asleep on the floor, and not too far off was Blizzard with his tail wrapped around a snoozing Chopper who was snuggled up to his big brother's side.

"Yohohohoho. It seems I helped more than just my Niece and Nephew doze off. I guess this means I'll be the one taking watch tonight." Brook smiled as he got up and made his way to the door of the bar, but not before taking a look back at his sleeping family. "Goodnight everyone. Pleasant dreams." He said before gently shutting the door behind bidding the rest of the Straw-hats a long peaceful sleep.

The End


	10. Cabin fever Craziness

The Sunny has come to a stop and the straw-hats have now where to go for a month. Not only that but there's no meat, peanut butter or cigarettes available, and it seems some of the crew may be losing their minds. is their any hop before the whole crew go round the bend?

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

* * *

As of now, the Thousand Sunny was quietly drifting through the cobalt blue waves towards her next destination, and needless to say the crew were looking forward to it. Luffy was currently at the helm, with Nami at his side. Usopp and Chopper were playing on one of the sniper's Trampolia pop greens, while Blizzard was lying comfortably beside them on the deck, and he couldn't help but chuckle at seeing his little reindeer brother enjoying himself so much. **BOIYOING~! BOIYOING~! BOIYOING~!**

"WHEEEEE~! It's just as bouncy as the sky island clouds!" Chopper squealed with laughter as he went flying into the air. "It's like a big jellyfish that smells like melons!"

"HAHAHA! That's a pretty good comparison, Chopper!" Usopp laughed as he bounced with him.

"Hm-hm, looks like they're having fun." Nami smiled.

"You can say that again. Are we still on course?" Luffy asked.

"Yup. Just keep going forward. You're doing great, sweetheart." Nami said to her secret fiancé, who grinned back at her, but at that moment, the Sunny slowly came to a stop.

"Huh? What's going on?" Chopper asked he landed on Blizzard with a small thump.

"Search me. Hey guys, why'd you stop?!" Usopp called.

"I didn't. We just…stopped." Luffy said, equally confused.

"Oh no, the winds died." Nami said. "We can't sail without wind."

"But Nami~! I really wanted to go to this island~! From what you said, it has one of the biggest and bestest markets in the New World~!" Luffy whined.

"I'm sorry, Luffy." Nami said, before turning around. "Franky~! Come out here!"

"What is it, Sis?" Franky replied as he emerged from the trap door on the deck.

"The wind's gone. Can you prepare a coup de burst or turn on the cola jet. It's only three or four hours till we reach the island."

"No can do, tangerine. I'm completely out of cola. That's why I was going to buy some at the market when we got there."

"Bother." Nami slapped her palm to her forehead in frustration.

"So…does that mean…we're stuck here, Blizzard?" Chopper asked.

"_Looks like it, little Brother._" Blizzard replied. By this point the rest of the crew had come out to join them. Robin and Zoro (the latter of which had been doing press-ups, with the former sitting on his back for weight, while reading) came down from the crow's nest. Sanji emerged from the kitchen and finally Brook from the aquarium bar.

"What's going on?" Zoro asked.

"The wind's dead. We're stuck." Luffy said bluntly.

"And we have no cola, so no burst or jet. I'm sorry, everyone, but all we can do is wait." Nami added.

"For how long?" Usopp asked.

"Well judging by how the temperature and atmosphere are now, I'd say about…a month." Nami calculated.

"A MONTH?!" the rest of the crew shouted.

"Don't worry, we'll be alright. We can last a month. Sanji what supplies do we have?" Nami asked.

"Well we still have a fair amount of fruit and veg and a good number of fish are still in the aquarium. That and maybe a few cakes left over from last night. It's not a banquet, but it should get us through a month if I split it up evenly." Sanji said.

"Yeah, as long I have my meat, I can pull through anything." Luffy grinned, before he noticed Sanji had a grim look on his face. "What gives?"

"We're out of meat."

"…Wwwhat?" Luffy whispered.

"We're out of meat." Sanji repeated

"WWWWWWHAAAT~?!" Luffy squawked in terror. "NO MEAT FOR A WHOLE MONTH?! **AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH~!**" Blizzard couldn't help but snicker over seeing his master panic over something so common as meat. But Sanji noticed the wolf-dog snickering.

"And peanut butter too." Blizzard immediately stopped snickering and a look of fear washed over his face, before he let out a long panicked howl. **AAAWWOOOOOOOO~!**

"SHUT UP THE BOTH OF YOU!" Zoro barked, before sighing in frustration. "Damn, I need a drink." He then said as he began to walk towards the bar.

"Oh yeah, no sake or beer either." Sanji smirked.

"Nice try, dartboard. Trying to make me freak out as well." Zoro snorted.

"No he's right, Zoro. There's none left." Robin said, causing her lover to stop in his tracks, but since his back was facing the crew, they didn't see his eye widen and his lips tighten.

"Look everyone just cool down. It's only a month with no meat, peanut butter or booze." Nami said.

"Or tea." Sanji then spoke up.

"IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'VE FORGOTTEN TO MENTION?!" Usopp, Chopper and Franky all shouted in frustration.

"Oh no, this isn't good at all. In these conditions we may all be at risk." Brook said.

"Of what?" Luffy asked.

"You've never heard. There's a horrible thing that can happen to people when they're stuck for days and days in a small space with nowhere to go and nothing to do. They get thee…cabin fever~!" he said the last sentence in a rather mad voice.

"Cabin fever? What's cabin fever?" Usopp asked.

"It must be a disease if it's a fever. And I've never heard of it. Brook you've gotta tell me about it so I can cure it!" Chopper said to the skeleton.

"There is no cure, Chopper. Cabin fever is caused by isolation and boredom, which then slowly leads to the victim losing their mind until they go completely round the bend. Crazy. Absolutely bonkers. Since we're all stuck here on Little Lion in the middle of the sea, with no wind, we'll only be free from thee cabin fever when the wind picks up again. And because several of us including myself have lost our most precious food or drink, be it tea, meat or peanut butter, we'll be at even more risk than the rest of you. Actually since you're a doctor and can't cure thee cabin fever with medicine, I think you'll now be at risk as well from the guilt of not being able to help us." Brook said.

"NOOOOOO~!" Chopper screamed.

"Brook you're talking out of your ass. A month without alcohol, tea or god knows what won't drive the crew mad." Sanji said.

"Oh I wouldn't be talking out of my ass, even if I had an ass to talk out of. Yohohohoho!" Brook said. "I spent twenty of the fifty years I was drifting in the Florian Triangle with thee cabin fever~." He said the last three words in that funny voice again. (A/N: he sounds like Ren from Ren and Stimpy when he says 'thee cabin fever')

"TWENTY YEARS?!" the crew gasped.

"Then how come you weren't a complete screwball when we met you?" Nami asked.

"I managed to just hold on to reality with my tone dial and my determination to see Laboon again. But even then, I barely made it. Why I nearly threw myself overboard five times from thee cabin fever."

"It can lead to suicide?!" Usopp squawked.

"Only if it's incredibly serious. But like Nami said, it's only a month, so if anything you'll just go loopy." Brook said.

"I still don't buy it. I've never heard such drivel in my life. A smoke'll calm me down." Sanji said as he reached for his cigarettes but as he stuck his finger in the packet to reach for one, he found nothing. He searched a little more frantically and even shook the pack upside down, only for a little moth to flutter out.

"PFFFFHAHAHAHAHAAAAA~! Egg on your face, huh, Sanji?!" Franky laughed.

"_Looks like his smug remarks went up in smoke._" Blizzard chuckled.

"SHUT UP! I can last a month without my smokes easily!" Sanji said red in the face. But inside, he was whimpering like a kicked puppy.

"Good luck with that, chain smoker." Zoro smirked.

"Like you're one to talk! You can't last a day without booze!" Sanji snapped.

"ENOUGH! Despite what Brook's said, and the matters at hand, I doubt anything bad's gonna happen. I promise we'll be up and sailing again in just a month and we have plenty of food so we won't starve. What's the worst that could happen without meat, tea, booze, peanut butter, cola or cigarettes?" Nami said as reassuringly as she could. But this was just the beginning.

XXX

**One week later** (A/N: imagine the narrator from SpongeBob who does the time cards saying it)

A week had passed since the Sunny stopped and Luffy, Usopp and Chopper lay sprawled out on the deck. Zoro was taking a nap not far off from them. To say they were bored would be beyond an understatement. They'd tried fishing but the fish weren't biting, and when they tried playing on Usopp's Trampolia, Zoro told them to stop because they were disturbing his nap. To try and occupy himself just a tiny bit, Chopper began to tap his hooves on the deck. **Clip-Clop! Clip-Clop! Clip-Clop! Clip-Clop!** As he continued to tap his hooves, Zoro began to snore a little. **SNORE! SNORE! SNORE!** Then Luffy's stomach began growling. **GRRUUUUUUUUMMBLE! GRRUUUUUUUUMMBLE!** All the while Usopp's blood-shot eyes began to widen until they were practically sticking out of his head. He squeezed his lips tightly until they'd completely vanished and his body began to tremble violently like a-

"SHADDUP~! I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE~!"

(A/N: Jeez I'm just telling a story, man. Sheesh)

Usopp sprang up from the deck in an explosion of rage, startling Luffy and Chopper and waking up Zoro. But before the swordsman, captain or the doctor could say a word, Usopp immediately ran to the mast and began banging his head against it. **BONK! BONK! BONK!**

"Usopp stop it!" Luffy shouted as he, Chopper and Zoro ran over to Usopp to pull him away from the mast.

"What the hell's gotten into you?!" Zoro asked as he held onto Usopp's arm.

"You're scaring us, Usopp. You've been all jittery like this for the past two days. Maybe you need a check-up!" Chopper said.

"Look let's just all calm down." Luffy said as they let go of Usopp.

"All? I'M COMPLETELY CALM~!" Usopp squawked as he faced them, revealing his large bloodshot eyes, with dark rings sitting comfortably underneath. The others jumped.

"Damn, Usopp, you look like crap. And your face is greasy. Real greasy. You been up all night?" Zoro asked.

"COURSE I'VE BEEN UP ALL NIGHT!" Usopp screamed, as he continued to shake violently.

"Sanji have you been giving Usopp that special coffee Iva invented? The kind that prevents sleep?" Luffy called.

"No. I ran out of that stuff last week, and Franky was the one who drank it so he could finish his project. Why?" Sanji asked as he came out only to grimace a bit at Usopp's face. "Jesus. When was the last time you slept, Usopp?"

"I couldn't stop thinking about mushrooms! I need a nap!" Usopp Said before he suddenly fell straight to sleep only to wake up again two seconds later. "Workout time!" he said quickly before he began to do sit ups.

"Okay…you're kinda creepin' me out, buddy." Luffy said only for Usopp to sit up and shake even more violently.

"SEVEN DAYS! SEVEN GODDAMN DAYS!

"I know it's hard Usopp, but you gotta pull yourself together." Zoro said.

"EEEUU-UU-UU-UU-UUGHH~!" Usopp gurgled violently before he fainted, foaming at the mouth.

"USOPP!" Chopper cried as he ran to his side. "What's happening to you?!"

"It's thee cabin fever~!" Brook suddenly said, who peered from behind the corner. "He's gone crazy from the boredom. I'm actually surprised he was the first to go. My money was on Luffy."

"Hey!" Luffy said.

"So what'll happen when he wakes up?! What can we do?! What can **I** do?!" Chopper panicked.

"We have to keep him contained so he won't hurt himself." Brook said. "I think I have a plan."

XXX

"BANANA! PINEAPPLE! KANGAROO!" Usopp babbled as the Straw-hats watched their poor comrade from outside the door. After breaking the news to the others, they tied Usopp up in a straitjacket (in case you're wondering, Nami got it in order to keep Luffy under control when she grounded him for using one of her shirts to mop up some tangerine juice he spilled on one of her maps) and put him in one of the spare rooms. In addition, Nami had coated all of the walls and the floor with sky cloud and Usopp was now rolling around the soft squishy room and laughing like a hyena.

"Poor Usopp. I can't believe he was the first to get cabin fever." Nami said.

"Good thing he didn't jump off the ship and drown." Robin said.

"I just wish I could help him." Chopper said. "I'm a doctor. It's my job to help sick people and I can't do anything."

"_Don't blame yourself, little brother. This isn't a normal disease._" Blizzard said.

"Blizzard's right. And like Brook said; Usopp will be all better when the ship starts moving again." Luffy said.

"Well I just hope the rest of us don't go mad as well." Sanji said as he put his hand in his pocket only to remember he had no cigarettes. He closed his eyes and breathed through his nose, before sighing. "_Keep calm, man, keep calm._" He thought to himself.

"Anyway, we should probably leave Usopp alone for now. There's no knowing who may get thee cabin fever next. Yohohohoho~!" Brook laughed a little madly. "Oh excuse me. I think my old condition may be coming back to haunt me. I think I'll go have a cup of…oh yes…I forgot." he sighed sadly before making his way out, closely followed by the others.

XXX

**Week two**

Sunny still hadn't moved an inch, and Usopp was still held up in the new nuthouse. Since they had to keep him bound in the straightjacket, he had to be fed by one of the other members which they didn't enjoy much I would wager. Speaking of food, the crew had gathered for lunch and despite the fact that they would have enough supplies to make it through the next few weeks, Luffy was finding it even more difficult to cope with having no meat. Even fish didn't seem to appeal to him and of course whenever the crew had to have vegetarian, he had to do his best to contain his frustration. As of now, he was quickly drumming his fingers together, impatiently waiting for food, his eyes darting around the room. But as Sanji set down a salad for each crew member, Luffy tightly gripped the table with both hands before letting out a frustrated roar.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH~! NO MORE VEG! NO MORE!"

"Whoa, Luffy simmer down. It's not so bad." Zoro said, but Luffy didn't listen.

"Sanji please, it's been two weeks without meat. I need it. Please you must have something left. Anything! Even just one tiny meatball! I'll eat it raw if you can't be bothered cooking it, just please give me the meatball! Where's the meatball, dammit, I know you have it~!" he wailed as he held Sanji by his collar.

"There's no meat Luffy! If I had any I'd give it to you! Now let go of me!" Sanji snapped as he shoved Luffy away from him.

"Meat~" Luffy whimpered as he curled up like a hedgehog in the corner and began rocking back and forth.

"Luffy, just please pull yourself together. You're stronger than this." Nami said as she hugged him to try and calm him down. Luffy indeed did uncurl from his foetal position albeit reluctantly.

"Look, how about I go run you nice hot bath. That should help you relax, and take your mind off you-know-what." Nami suggested.

"That…sounds nice actually." Luffy said with a little smile, which Nami returned.

"You guys carry on. I'll take Luffy for his bath." Nami said as she made her way with Luffy to the bathroom, and began to fill the tub with warm, steamy water.

"There you go. And here." She said before pointing part of her Clima-tact at the bath. **Plip!** A small ball of sky cloud shot out and before morphing into a square shape and sticking to the end of the bath. **SHLORP!** "I made you a sky cloud bath cushion. If this doesn't help you relax, I don't know what will."

"Thanks, Nami." Luffy said as his girlfriend left him alone and he slipped gently into the warm water, letting out a contented sigh in the process. "Aahhh~! This is nice. Just lie back and think nice thoughts…..Tender beef…..Crispy breaded chicken…..yummy fried octopus bal-DAMMIT!" he cursed. "My mind keeps drifting to meat. Delicious, yummy, juicy-NO BAD LUFFY!" **WHAP!** He slapped himself across the face before he noticed a bar of soap sitting on the surface of the water. Only it wasn't looking much like soap anymore. It was starting to turn brown right before Luffy's eyes, until it had suddenly completely transformed into a bar of chocolate.

"Ch…chocolate…?" he said as he picked it up and sniffed it. It was sweet. The reason being that the soap was fruit scented. At this point, Luffy's mouth began to water violently

"Creamy…smooth…sweet chocolate." He slurred before he took a bite out of the 'chocolate bar' savouring its sweet taste and smooth texture. He didn't even notice the foamy suds beginning to form in his mouth as he got out of the bath and made his way back to the kitchen, still eating the bar of soap. This of course made his crew gasp when they saw him foaming at the mouth.

"AAAAHHH! HE'S GOT RABIES~!" Chopper screamed.

"No he's not he's…..eating soap?" Sanji said in utter confusion.

"Okay, Luffy, just calm down and stop eating that soap, before you get a stomach ache." Nami said, only for Luffy to hold onto the half eaten soap protectively and hiss like a cat. **HISSSSSSS~!**

"Oh no! I know what you want." He growled. "You coveted my chocolate bar!"

"Luffy, take it easy." Sanji said as he began to slowly walk towards his captain. "Just put the soap down."

"No you don't! You can't take it from me now! I've known this chocolate bar since I was a child~! Mean people always trying to steal it from me~! Why won't they leave me ALOOOOOONE~?!" Luffy cried, his eyes watering, and his arms raised above his head.

"Luffy, give me the soap. That's an order!" Sanji said sternly only for Luffy to slap his hand away.

"The captain doesn't take orders from nobody!" he snapped before he then did something that took the entire crew by surprise. He forced open the fridge door, stuck Sanji's head in and began to repeatedly open and close the door on his friend's head. **BANG! BANG! BANG!**

"I'M OFF MY MEDS!" he shouted as he continued to bash Sanji's head in the door.

"No! He's got thee cabin fever too~!" Brook wailed as Zoro and Franky pulled Luffy away from the fridge, while Chopper tended to Sanji, who surprisingly was still conscious.

"WHAT THE HELL, MAN?!" Sanji roared.

"No…not Luffy." Nami whimpered, her eyes starting to water, over seeing her beloved Luffy frantically trying to wrestle out of Zoro and Franky's grip and constantly screaming for his chocolate.

XXX

**Week three**

It took a lot of effort but the crew managed to bind Luffy in another straitjacket which Franky quickly produced from a few old shirts, which turned out to be surprisingly sturdy. While some of the crew had been slightly expecting their captain to lose his marbles over having no meat whatsoever, others had hoped he would be able to withstand his cravings. But of course they had been wrong after seeing him chomping on a bar of soap and then slamming Sanji's head in the fridge door. Of course while all the remaining crew members felt the pain of their captain's breakdown, Chopper and Nami definitely took it the worst. Chopper, because he felt so useless not being able to help Luffy or Usopp, despite how much the others told him not to blame himself. And Nami. Well that shouldn't require much thought. She hardly smiled and would often go to try and talk to Luffy only to receive a few gibberish sentences. That combined with her deep concern for her beloved and the loneliness that followed seemed to be sending the navigator into a depression, and therefore Brook suspected that she was now at high risk of getting cabin fever from being separated from Luffy. And knowing that only made Chopper feel even more useless. As of now, Nami was currently making her way to the library to work on her latest map, when she felt the need for a warm drink.

"I really could use some tea right now. Now I must know how Brook feels. Guess I'll have to settle with coffee." She sighed, as she changed her route to the kitchen. As she entered, she saw a rather confusing sight.

"Sanji…why are you smoking a pencil?" she asked, really confused. The cook, hearing her, turned to face her, and sure enough, sitting in his mouth was a pencil, burning at the tip and wisp of smoke rising from it.

"Pencil?" he repeated, until he took it out of his mouth and dropped it in surprise when he saw what he was smoking. "When did that happen?! I could've sworn I was smoking a cigarette!"

"You must have been seeing things. Oh, dear you must be getting the cabin fever as well. You need to be careful Sanji, or you'll end like Usopp and…" She sighed, as she thought of Luffy. "Oh, Luffy…"

"If you need a hug, I'll be more than happy to oblige, Nami dear~" Sanji said happily.

"Dream on, chump." Nami muttered. "Anyway, I just need some coffee please."

"Right away." Sanji replied as he fetched her requested hot beverage before Nami thanked him and made her way back to the library to begin her map. She sat down at her desk and sighed as she dipped her quill in the ink and began drawing.

"I really hope Luffy can make it through this. I've never seen him defeated like this." She said to herself, but as she continued to draw, she gradually stopped looking at the page and stared into space, thinking about her captain while her quill continued to move. But as she looked back down after a few minutes, she gasped when she saw that she'd broken one of her biggest rules: she'd drawn doodles of her and Luffy all over what used to be the drawing of her map.

"What the hell am I doing?!" she gasped as she dropped her quill and backed away from the ruined map in shock. "I never doodle on my map paper. Oh no. Now I may be at risk of getting cabin fever. I need to talk to Brook. He may know how to keep me calm." She then dashed out of the library and began to head to the aquarium bar, only to run into Sanji again.

"Nami, what's the rush?!" he said surprised.

"I think I'm getting cabin fever, Sanji. I just doodled all over my map, without even realising it."

"But that's one of your biggest rules. That's not a good sign."

"I know. That's why I'm going to talk to Brook. After all, he's the only one of the crew who's had cabin fever before, so he must know how to deal with it."

"It's worth a shot. I think I better talk to him too. I just got over the shock of smoking a vanilla pod no more than two minutes ago. At least it was sweeter than a pencil." Sanji said, before the two straw-hats opened the door to aquarium bar, only to find the lights off.

"Brook? You in hear?" Nami called as she flicked on the light only to receive two high pitched screams which made her and Sanji jump.

"THEE LIIIIIIGGGHHHHT~!" one screamed.

"TURN OFF THE LIGHT~!" the second said.

"Who the hell is screaming?!" Sanji roared, but he soon got his answer when Brook and Chopper appeared from behind the bar counter, wearing each other's hats and giggling madly. Due to wearing Chopper's round cap, it made Brook look like he'd painted his afro blue and pink.

"You two?! Don't scare us like that!" Nami said.

"YOU'RE ALL LATE FOR TEA~!" Brook shouted as he suddenly threw a tea cup towards them casing them to duck as it hit the wall and shattered. **WHOOOOOSH~! SMASH!** "YOHOHOHOHO~!" Brook laughed.

"Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee~!" Chopper giggled as he covered his mouth with a hoof, while using the over to Keep Brook's large hat from slipping over his eyes.

"No, not you guys as well!" Nami said, realising immediately what was wrong with the musician and doctor.

"We've got thee cabin fever~!" Brook sang.

"Fever, fever, fever~!" Chopper chanted. Instinctively, Nami and Sanji immediately tackled Brook before the skeleton could throw another tea cup at them, but Chopper had already sped passed them and out the door.

"SOMEONE CATCH CHOPPER! HE'S GOT THE CABIN FEVER!" Nami called to anyone else who could hear her. Luckily Blizzard had just come out of the men's quarters and spotted his little brother running off towards the bathroom.

"_Chopper, come back!_" he called as he chased after the little reindeer into the library, only to see him scamper up the ladder. It took some effort, but the wolf-dog managed to climb the ladder to reach the bathroom before he found Chopper standing in the corner of the room with his teeth clenched and his arms pressed against the wall.

"_Easy little, brother. Don't panic._" Blizzard said gently.

"BACK OFF MAN!" Chopper snapped, before his eyes drifted to a nearby toothbrush. **SNATCH!** "DON'T MAKE ME USE THIS! ONE STEP CLOSER, I'M WARNIN' YA!" Chopper yelled as held the toothbrush towards Blizzard in both hooves like a weapon, Brook's hat slipping over his eyes. "Don't make me use it!"

"_Chopper you need to-_" Blizzard tried to say as he took a step forward

"NOW YOU'VE DONE IT! You forced me to use it!" Chopper screamed before he began to brush his teeth madly with the brush. Blizzard couldn't take it anymore. He charged towards Chopper and managed to pull the toothbrush out of his little brother's hands, before pining him to the bathroom floor with his front paws.

"NOOOOO~! I'm doomed~!" Chopper wailed, before he fainted.

"_Oh, Chopper. Why'd this have to happen to you of all people? Now I've lost you AND Luffy._" Blizzard said sadly as he hugged Chopper before carrying him out of the bathroom and back to Nami and Sanji who'd just immobilized Brook.

"This is just getting worse. If we don't calm the guys down they're gonna lose their heads." Sanji said.

"Already lost them. Yohohohohoho!" Brook said hoarsely from underneath Sanji and Nami's feet.

"I heard screaming, are guys o-WHAH!" Franky yelped as he tripped on the deck while running towards them, before picking himself up. "Sorry. So Brook and Chopper too, huh?" he said as Zoro and Robin joined him.

"Afraid so. Not only that, but Sanji and I may be getting it too." Nami spoke. "I started doodling on my map paper and Sanji was smoking a pencil and a vanilla pod.

"Well he definitely needs to be locked up. He's clearly lost his mind." Zoro said.

"I HAVE NOT, MOSS HEAD! I was only seeing things!" Sanji snapped.

"Enough." Robin suddenly spoke up. "For now, we need to get Brook and Chopper in with Luffy and Usopp, and I've just about had enough of this madness. We need to get the ship moving again somehow, before we all go mad."

"So what do you propose, Robin?" Nami asked.

"You said we were only a couple of hours from the island. If we can make some oars we could row there."

"That's not possible." Franky said. "If we wanted to move Sunny by hand, we'd need the whole crew. She's a heavy ship, and it'll take more than just the six of us. We'd never make it more than a mile."

"So you're saying all we can do is wait and hope?!" Robin said.

"If there were any other options I'd take them." Franky replied. Robin sighed.

"I'm really getting worried. If anyone else loses their mind I don't know what we'll do. It's too much."

"Robin it's ok." Zoro said reassuringly as he hugged her. "No one's gonna get hurt, and as long we stay together, we can pull through this and get the guys heads back on straight."

"You're right, Zoro. I'm sorry for underestimating them."

"No need to apologise. You have the right to be concerned. Let's just get Chopper and Brook to safety before they jump overboard."

"Yeah, but let's just….wait…..wait where are my sunglasses?! Look for them damn you! LOOK FOR THEM!" Franky said frantically when he noticed his shades had fallen off. "Oh here they are." He sighed as he picked them up and put them on, only to find that one of the lenses was gone. "NOOOOOO!"

XXX

**Week four**

The remaining members of the crew we're having rather mixed emotions. On the one hand, they we're overjoyed knowing that the wind should pick up again by the end of the week. But on the other hand, they were concerned that their impatience might get the better of them, and put them at further risk of going mad, mainly Nami and Sanji. The former had been unintentionally drawing pictures of herself and Luffy on her map paper, and so had decided to stop drawing maps until the wind picked up again, which only made her even more bored than before. The latter however had been mistaking more and more long, thin objects for cigarettes and attempted to smoke them. The list included a cinnamons stick, a string bean and probably the worst (and also the funniest for Zoro and Blizzard); a chili. As of now, a flock of seagulls was flying around the ship, since the birds had started to view the Sunny as a new landing spot. There were only a day left, and Zoro, Franky and Blizzard were lying out on the deck, and for some reason, the cyborg had a few white splodges on his shoulders and he was still wearing his broken sunglasses, revealing his eye, which was really wide.

"I, I can't tell you, how much I hate this, guys. I-I just…I can't…I-" **Splat!** A small white glob landed on his shoulder. "IT'S NOT GOOD LUCK ANYMORE!" he waved a large fist at the seagulls. "HELP! HEEELLLLLP!"

"Pull yourself together!" Zoro barked. "It's just one more day till the wind comes back. We can do this."

"I'm sorry, man. I don't know why, but it just seems like the last day's the worst." Franky said. "Luffy and the others have been getting even wilder. I had to barricade the door to prevent them from bashing it down with their heads."

"I know, but all that matters is we just hold our frustration in for just a few more hours." Zoro said.

"_Well let's just hope so. I really miss Luffy and Chopper._" Blizzard said sadly as he wandered off. "_And I'm hungry too. Oh how I'd love a nice crunchy creamy, sweet peanut bu…bu…..butter…cookie?_" His voice drifted off at the mention of his favourite biscuit snack. The reason being that he could see one floating in front of him, along with a peanut butter sandwich, peanut butter crackers, ants on a dog biscuit (a dog biscuit with peanut butter and raisins on top), a jar of the sticky spread, and three peanuts. All aforementioned snacks began to circle around his head. Entranced, he reached up with a paw, only for the snacks to vanish as he touched them. His eyes widened.

"_Hold it together, Blizzard. Hold it together._" He said to himself.

"Come on. You know you wanna eat." A voice said. The wolf dog turned his head to see the peanut butter cookie had sprouted a pair of legs and a mouth.

"Yeah, come on Blizzard, eat us." the peanut butter cracker said, which was also standing on two small legs.

"Come on! Eat me! What you waitin' for?!" the jar of peanut butter said in a rather deep voice.

"Come on doggy. Say 'Aaahhh'!" the three peanuts said as they ran towards Blizzard, while the sandwich and dog biscuit tried to open his mouth.

"Let us in! Let us in! Eat us! Eat us!" they both said.

"_NO! NO! GO AWAY!_" Blizzard barked as he ran off.

"Get to the choppa!" the peanut butter jar said as all the treats suddenly boarded a small nearby army chopper, and began to chase after Blizzard in it. In reality, the wolf-dog was running in circles, while Franky and Zoro watched him in surprise.

"What the hell's gotten into Snowy?" the cyborg wondered.

"I don't think I wanna know." Zoro replied.

"Perhaps you need a drink." Said a sake bottle that had just appeared on his shoulder.

"GET LOST!" Zoro snapped as he swatted the bottle away.

"Hey there's no need to snap at me, dude." Franky said, slightly offended.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Zoro replied.

"What's with all the shouting, and barking?" Nami asked, as she came out of the aquarium bar.

"Hey, Sis, what's that on your face?" Franky asked.

"What do you mean?" Nami asked as she looked in one of the windows before yelping. There were doodles all over her face. "Oh my god! When did that happen?!" she cried.

"Lunch'll be ready soon, guys!" Sanji called as he emerged from the kitchen with a burning carrot in his mouth.

"Sanji, you're doing it again." Robin said, who'd just showed up. The cook noticing what was in his mouth, instantly spat it out.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Franky thundered. **CRASH!** But at that moment, the door to the men's quarters broke down before Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Brook, tumbled through the doorway, all in straitjackets.

"CABIN FEVER, YEAH~!" they all sang with mad grins.

"HOW DID THEY GET OUT~?!" Nami cried.

"How'd they climb the ladder?!" Zoro shouted. By this point the entire crew was shouting at each other, or panicking, until the only person who wasn't losing their head, decided to speak up.

"EVERYBODY **STOOOOOOP!**" Robin screamed, causing the entire crew to immediately fall silent. A few long seconds of silence followed before the unthinkable happened. A soft cooling breeze blew across the deck of the Sunny, causing the grass to rustle.

"…I'm dreaming…" Usopp whispered.

"I must be dead. Even though I already am." Brook breathed. By this point, the breeze began to pick up until the sails began to slowly fill.

"….Wind?" Chopper said, as his eyes began to fill with hope. The sails began to billow even more until they were completely full, and very slowly….

"WE'RE MOVING~!" Luffy cheered as he hopped up and down in his straitjacket only to trip and fall flat on the deck again, laughing with joy.

"FREEDOOOOOM~!" Brook cried, comical tears of happiness running out of his sockets.

"WIND! COOL SWEET WIHIHIIIND!" Usopp sobbed happily.

"Oh thank goodness, I thought we'd never move again." Robin said as she and Zoro embraced each other, while Franky and Sanji started to untie Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Brook.

"BIG BROTHER~!" Chopper cried as he tackled Blizzard with a hug. "I MISSED YOU!"

"_I missed you too, Chopper._" Blizzard said as licked his little brother's face.

"Don't forget me, buddy!" Luffy said he hugged Blizzard and received the same happy doggy kiss from his best friend.

"Finally, we can get out of here, and get to that island." Nami said relieved.

"MEAT!" cheered Luffy.

"TEA!" Brook laughed.

"_PEANUT BUTTER!_" Blizzard howled.

"BOOZE!" Zoro cheered.

"SMOKES!" Sanji shouted.

"LAND!" Usopp cried.

"CHOPPER!" Chopper shouted, until the others looked at him. "Sorry, everyone was cheering." He then grinned bashfully.

"Full speed ahead!" Franky roared as he took the helm. The Sunny, once again, cut through the waves as it sailed back on course to the island. But after about fifteen minutes, a layer of fog began to close in around the ship.

"Oh, now what?" Zoro sighed irritably. "Haven't we gone through enough?"

"Calm down it's just some fog." Nami said. But as the ship sailed further, the crew began to hear a rather soothing group of voices.

"What…what's that sound?" Usopp asked, until the crew saw several black shapes appear within the fog.

"_Luffy?_" one of the shapes spoke.

"What? Who-who's there?" Luffy asked back but he gasped when the shape came into full view. "Ace?" Indeed. Standing there tall, proud and very much alive was Luffy's brother, Ace.

"_It's been so long, little brother._" He said. Luffy began to tremble at the unbelievable sight.

"No. That's not true. That's impossible! You're dead! You died in my arms. You can't be here!" Luffy cried. By this point, Nami was about to speak up until she saw one of the other shapes come forward, to reveal a middle-aged woman with red hair in a short ponytail.

"B…Bellemere?" she whimpered.

"_Nami, I've missed you so much. You've grown up just like I'd hoped you would._" Her adoptive mother smiled. As the navigator fell to her knees in tears, more and more of the shapes came into view, revealing themselves to be the Straw-hats loved ones.

"Kuina?" Zoro breathed at the sight of his childhood friend.

"Z-Zeff." Sanji gaped at his foster father, who'd saved his life and trained him to become the chef and fighter he was today.

"Kaya." Usopp said. "You look so healthy. Are you finally a doctor?"

"D…D-D-Doctor~" Chopper wept as Dr Hiriluk grinned at the little reindeer.

Robin could only gape at the sight of her mother, Olvia, who smiled warmly at her.

"Tom. Tom is that you?" Franky said to his fishman master who made him a shipwright.

"_…Mother…_" Blizzard whispered, as he gazed at a brown and white female husky. Delilah, his mother.

"Ca…Captain?" Brook whimpered as he saw his old captain, Yorki who grinned at him. But just then another figure emerged from the fog, which made the entire crew gasp.

"VIVI?!" the crew, excluding Robin, Franky, Blizzard and Brook yelled in shock, as the sky blue haired girl smiled warmly at them.

"_I've missed you all so much. I'm so glad to see you all again._"

"VIVI MY BEAUTUFUL QUEEN~!" Sanji wailed joyfully as he ran towards her. "YOU CAME BACK TO ME~!"

"Wait a minute….Something's off here." Franky said. "Tom, I wish I'd never built those battleships. They were my biggest mistake of my life."

"_That's alright, Franky. We all make mistakes. Just keep on trying and you accomplish anything in the end._" The fishman smiled.

"Wrong answer." The cyborg replied before realign his fist back. "Strong RIGHT!" **KA-POW!** His iron fist connected with Tom's face, sending the fishman flying backwards.

"FRANKY!" the crew cried in shock at seeing him attack the closest person he'd had as a father.

"It's a trick! They're imposters!" he said before pointing at the water. The crew looked before gasping at what they saw. It looked like some sort of reptilian creature with dark blue skin, a pair of small flippers and a long neck and tail. Its head complete with a Mohawk fin, red eyes and a mouthful of sharp teeth.

"A siren." Robin identified the creature. "they lure their victims by taking the form of their loved ones and then attacking them when the victim is vulnerable.

"Wait…SANJI!" Luffy cried as they saw the cook prancing towards the siren that was impersonating Vivi, who opened her arms to him.

"_I've missed you the most, Sanji._" She smiled.

"I LOVE YOU, VIVIIIIII~!" Sanji sang.

"STOP YOU DUMBASS!" Zoro said as he dashed towards Sanji and then did something that made all the male members of the crew cringe. **BONG!** The former swung his foot straight into the latter's tenders, who then collapsed in a heap and curled into a ball.

"I'm….going to….kill you….moss head~" he wept at the searing pain in his lower region.

"So that's what I get for saving you from the monster that just pretended to be your 'girlfriend' in order to eat you?" Zoro snorted. "Though it was totally worth it." He then thought with a grin.

"WHAT?!" Sanji said who immediately jumped back on his feet.

"HOW CAN HE STAND?!" Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, Franky, Blizzard and Brook all yelled in surprise.

"You dare impersonate my darling Vivi?!" Sanji roared in rage, as he pointed at the siren which had changed back to its original form. "I'LL FRY YOU AND YOUR PALS UP AND SERVE YOU WITH CHIPS!" he thundered as his entire body was engulfed flame. "HELL MEMORIES~!" **FWOOOOOSH!** In a blast of fire, the entire group of sirens was engulfed in flames, causing the crew to shield their eyes from the brightness. When they opened their eyes they saw twelve roasted carcasses lying on the deck.

"Tch! No one impersonates my beloved." Sanji snorted.

"MEAT~!" Luffy cheered as he immediately began to eat one the roasted sirens. "Wow, this tastes GREAT! You guys gotta try this!" he said with his mouth full.

"Looks like we're having an early dinner today then." Nami smiled as she joined Luffy, as did the rest of the crew.

"I'm just so happy this craziness is all over." Chopper said as he took a bite of siren.

"_You and me both, little brother._" Blizzard agreed.

"So how long till we reach the island. I really want to go this market." Usopp asked.

"Yeah! So we can get lots of meat!" Luffy cheered.

"And booze." Zoro said.

"And smokes." Sanji added.

"Don't forget my peanut butter" Blizzard brought up.

"Or my cola." Franky added.

"And tea too." Brook spoke up.

"I think I might get some new books as well." Robin smiled.

"Yeah, we'll be taking a very long shopping trip when we arrive." Nami giggled. "It should be no more than half an hour till we're there."

"YAY~!" the crew cheered.

"But to be on the safe side. I think we should keep the straitjackets" Nami added.

"What, in case we get thee cabin fever, again if we get stuck?" Brook said.

"No. So I can keep trouble makers like you, Luffy, Usopp and Chopper under control." Nami laughed.

"WHAT?! THAT'S NOT FAIR~!" the four boys roared, but the others could only laugh.

The end


	11. Romance and Rockpools

Zoro seems to be having a bit of a problem with his love life. He wants to try and be more romantic with Robin so he can get the spark back in their love life, and a day at the beach may be just what he needs for it.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

* * *

As of now, the Sunny was quietly drifting through the water as the millions of stars glowed in the black sky. Most of the crew were asleep, with the exception of three. One of which was Usopp who was taking watch tonight, and the other two were Zoro and Robin. You see, ever since Luffy and Nami had got their own room on their anniversary, an empty bed had been left in the women's quarters, and Robin couldn't help but feel lonely without Nami's company. Which is why after she and Zoro confessed their love for each other it wasn't long before she invited him to 'move in with her'. Of course he was more than happy to, although while Sanji had grown comfortable with Luffy and Nami being together, he still wasn't quite over losing Robin to Zoro (his rival) of all people, so the crew had to hold him back when the swordsman and archaeologist had stated they'd now be sharing the same room. The former's response to Sanji forbidding him to step foot in the women's quarters was to flip him off before kicking the door shut with a smirk. But anyway, the two of them were currently sitting in their new king sized bed; Robin was casually reading her latest book, while Zoro was leaning against the back of the bed, with his hands behind his head. While his face seemed casual, he was actually bored. Of course he didn't mind Robin keeping the bedside light on so she could read (after all he could sleep in broad daylight, so a little lamp was nothing), but the fact of the matter was, the swordsman felt like having a bit of 'fun' with his lover. Deciding to go for it, Zoro leaned in towards Robin and began to lightly trail small pecks up her arm. The raven haired woman giggled at the contact before gently pushing him away.

"Zoro, I'm reading~" she chuckled with a warm smile.

"Sorry." Zoro blushed from embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head. "I just thought maybe we could…um…have a little fun tonight?" he stumbled slightly over the choice of words, being that he wasn't very good at talking 'sexy'. Robin chuckled again before giving him a soft kiss and teasingly ruffled his hair.

"Perhaps when we have more time. I'd just like to read my book tonight, if that's okay." She smiled. While inside Zoro felt disappointed, he smiled understandingly before lying down in the bed, with his back to her.

"Okay, goodnight. Love you." He said.

"Love you too, moss head." Robin laughed before going back to reading. Now the reason that Zoro felt disappointed was because it had actually been a few months since they'd last made love. Of course they cuddled often, but Zoro was beginning to grow hungry again for something more. But being the man he was, he'd never force Robin to do something she wouldn't want, so he'd tried to 'persuade' her in more gentle ways such as tonight, but all attempts had proved futile, and truth be told, he was beginning to get worried that Robin may be getting bored of him and that the spark in their love life was inches from going out, unless he found a way to be more erotic. But he had no idea what to do anymore. He clearly needed advice, and he knew just the fellow non-virgin to talk to.

XXX

The next morning Zoro made his way to the lower part of the ship where Luffy and Nami's room was located. Knowing that Luffy had a very strong love life with Nami, he was certain that his captain would be able to offer him at least some sort of advice on how to be more romantic with Robin. As he rounded the corner to the captain and navigator's love nest, he accidentally bumped into Nami who was donned in a fluffy dressing gown, and even though Zoro didn't notice, it looked like she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

"Oops, sorry, Zoro." She grinned sheepishly as she began to back away.

"Sorry, do you need to see Luffy too?" Zoro asked.

"Nope." She said quickly before walking away. Shrugging, Zoro opened the door and upon entering, his expression turned grim. Luffy was lying on the bed in front of him with his head in his hand and his back to him, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, and as he turned his head to face Zoro, there was a rose clenched in his teeth.

"Well helloooooo~-MMPH!" Luffy instantly sucked the rose into his mouth (which luckily had been trimmed of its thorns) and his eyes bulged when he noticed, it wasn't his hot secret fiancé that was standing in the doorway. "Uh Z-Zoro! Yes, why would I be expecting anyone else?" he said before uncomfortably swallowing the rose and coughing out a petal. "So what do you need?" he then said, trying to quickly direct his first mate away from knowing his captain and navigator had been intending to have sex.

"Look, this is gonna be awkward," Zoro began. "_But then things already are, so this shouldn't be too difficult_." He muttered under his breath, before continuing. "But I need advice."

"Advice?" Luffy repeated. "For what?"

"The thing is…I'm worried Robin might be bored of me."

"Bored? Of you? HA!" Luffy quickly laughed. "Come on Zoro, that's ridiculous, how are you boring?" the swordsman just frowned at him, annoyed. "Okay, you're a little boring, but Robin fell in love with you remember? You thought it wasn't true at first, but it was. She must enjoy spending time with you, if she fell in love with you first."

"That's not what I mean." Zoro said before sighing. "I'm just gonna come out with it. We haven't had any 'fun' in our love life for months now, and I'm worried we may have lost the spark, and I just don't know how to get it going again, so I wanted to ask you for advice on how to be romantic, cause you and Nami are practically enjoying each other's company all the time. You can make her heart melt almost instantly, so how do you do it?" Luffy looked at Zoro inquisitively before scratching his head.

"You know…I've never really thought about it. It's just sort of natural for me." He said. "It's hard to explain, but usually we just both know when the time's right. In fact, I'd have to say it's Nami who knows how to get me in the mood for it." He then grinned. "Mainly because she promises me it to persuade me to do work for her now and then. I really am hopeless sometimes. Shishishishishi!" Zoro was now looking at Luffy in a very puzzled way. It seemed that Nami was the dominant one in her and Luffy's love life, but then when he thought about it, that didn't surprise him. After all she was smart and authoritative and Luffy was naïve and impulsive.

"But I've seen you get her in the mood before. You sometimes just hug her from behind and the next minute you're both making out. You make it look easy." Zoro said.

"I know. That's just cause she finds me cute. I'm her dumb little goofball and she's my sweet tangerine. You know what they say: opposites attract." Luffy smiled proudly. "You just have to find what it is about you that Robin loves so much. Trust me, there's no way she's bored of you, and she never will be." Luffy grinned.

"Thanks, captain. That helps a lot." Zoro smiled.

"You're welcome thanks for stopping by." Luffy said quickly before ushering Zoro out of the room. He waited for about three seconds before poking his head out of the door.

"Nami." He called quietly, but then noticed Zoro was still there and whistled innocently as the swordsman rolled his eyes and walked away.

XXX

Later that day, Zoro was up in the crow's nest thinking about what Luffy had said. When he got down to it, Luffy was right. Robin had been the first to fall for him since she enjoyed teasing and subtly flirting with him before they got together. So what was it about him that Robin loved so much? From what he could gather, he assumed it was either his naivety, or how he could be blunt about certain subjects, which Robin seemed to find refreshing rather than hearing the same answer from everyone else. But despite that, he couldn't seem to find out how that would help him reignite the spark. Deciding to seek more advise, he went to look for Nami, who he found trimming her tangerine grove, while humming merrily to herself. As Zoro approached her, she turned to face him with a small friendly smile.

"Hi, Zoro." She said. "Do you need something?"

"Sort of." Zoro muttered. Nami looked at him in a way that said 'continue'. "I don't know if Luffy's told you yet, but I'm worried about my relationship with Robin. We haven't done anything exciting in our love life for months and I'm worried she may be bored with me. Luffy told me that she's not and that I just need to find out what it is about me she loves so much so I can learn to be more romantic. Since you're the dominant one in your and Luffy's romance, and that you're also Robin's closest friend, I figure you could help me." Zoro explained. Nami looked at him for a few seconds as she processed what she'd heard, before smiling.

"Well you came to the right person. And first of all Luffy's right; Robin's not bored of you so don't go jumping to conclusions." Zoro rubbed the back of his head awkwardly before Nami continued. "As to what she likes about you; she really enjoys how peaceful and quiet you are. You're a book girl's fondest dream, you are." She chuckled, as Zoro frowned slightly at the comment. "Not only that but she also finds your dopiness really cute, just like I do with Luffy." She then laughed, Zoro now looking annoyed. "And of course, she always feels safe around you cause you're so strong. There's plenty about you she likes."

"Well that's all great. But the problem is how can I get her in the mood so I can get our romance back on track?" Zoro asked. "I've tried everything: rubbing her shoulders, kissing her neck playfully, everything, but she just chuckles and politely says no. How does it work with you and Luffy?"

"Well for us, we just find the right moment to do it. As to what you could try, to be more romantic, maybe take her out once in a while to get her relaxed. When was the last time you two went out?"

"Quite a while actually. I guess Robin's just never asked me for anything like that. I never knew."

"Well this is perfect. We're actually not too far off from an island and judging by this warm weather, there's bound to be a beach. I think a nice long beach day is just what we need and just the thing you need to show Robin a good time. Do everything you can: help her with the sun block, go for a walk with her, get her an ice cream maybe. But even then, you're bound to find your own way of being romantic with her. I know you will, Zoro, cause you make Robin the happiest archaeologist alive." Zoro smiled at Nami as she finished.

"Thanks a lot Nami. You've really given me confidence." He said.

"You're very welcome. My service is 10,000 berries, please." She grinned.

"Very funny." Zoro grumbled as he walked off, hearing Nami's laughter behind him.

XXX

About an hour passed before the Thousand sunny arrived at her destination. Just as Nami had expected, there was an incredibly large beach on the island, and quite a few people were occupying it, so the Straw-hats had to hide the Sunny behind a large cluster of rocks so she wouldn't be stolen. After which the crew disembarked the ship after changing into their beach outfits. Luffy was wearing his common red trunks and decided to give Nami his hat for the day which earned him a kiss from his red-haired secret fiancé who was donned in a yellow and orange two piece, which made him blush. Sanji was wearing his light blue trunks and 'Mr Prince' sunglasses, while Usopp was wearing a pair of yellow swim shorts and his white sun-hat. Chopper had left his hat and helmet back on the ship and was wearing a pair of small purple swim shorts, while riding Blizzard who was wearing a pair of round sunglasses and an orange bandanna with the kanji for 'hound dog' on it in green. Franky was just wearing his usual outfit while Brook was wearing a pair of sunflower sunglasses and a pair of black swim shorts. As for Zoro, he was donned in a pair of green trunks and Robin was wearing a violet one piece and a floral beach shawl. Looking at Nami in Luffy's hat, Zoro couldn't help but wonder if Robin would like wearing his bandanna. Deciding to go for it, he untied his bandanna from his arm and gently tied it around Robin's head. She looked at him slightly puzzled.

"It'll help keep the sun out of your eyes and stop it from burning your forehead." Zoro explained. "It looks good on you." He added. The archaeologist smiled and pecked his cheek.

"Thank you, Zoro. You never let anyone wear your bandanna. It's very touching knowing you trust it to me." She said. Zoro gently took her hand in his before looking at Nami who winked at him and flashed him a thumbs up, as did Luffy who was holding her hand. As they made it onto the wide sandy shore, the crew weren't surprised that Brook, Chopper and Franky drew a lot of the other people's attention, but by this point they were used to it and after setting up their deck chairs, parasols and towels, Nami, Brook, Franky and Robin decided to spend a good hour soaking up the rays, while Sanji had ran off to hit on the other women occupying the beach. Nami lifted her sunglasses to see Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard wondering off.

"Where you going, boys?" she asked.

"Rock-pooling." Usopp answered. "I saw a huge stretch of rock pools at the other end of the beach. Goes on for miles."

"Yeah, we're gonna catch all sorts of cool sea critters." Luffy grinned.

"I just hope a hermit crab doesn't nip my nose again." Chopper said.

"_Well you were the one sticking your face in its shell in the first place._" Blizzard snickered as Chopper stuck his little pink tongue out at him.

"Just don't be gone for too long guys. Sanji brought the barbeque with him." Nami said.

"That is if he even comes back to cook, what with all the women he's chasing after." Zoro snorted.

"Okay, well see you later Nami~!" Luffy said giving her a peck on the cheek before chasing after Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard. As Robin stretched out on her beach towel, after applying her sun block to any reachable areas, Zoro decided to take the first part of Nami's advice.

"Do you want help you with your back?" he asked. Robin turned her gaze to him and smiled.

"I'd really appreciate it. Plus I don't have to put any on my forehead thanks to your bandanna." She said. Zoro nodded before taking the sun block and gently massaging it into her back, causing her to shiver slightly from how cold it was before moaning contentedly. "Thank you, Zoro. That feels really nice." She said soothingly her eyes closed. The swordsman blushed slightly at the cute relaxed smile she was wearing as she lay on her back. Nami once again smirked at him before going back to her sunbathing.

XXX

Meanwhile, at the other end of the beach, Luffy, Blizzard, Chopper and Usopp had a arrived at a large, wide landscape of black and grey rocks, many were coated with knobbly mussels and pointy barnacles, as well as hundreds of medium sized pools of water.

"Alright gang." Usopp began. "Whoever catches the most interesting sea animals will be the winner. So Luffy, don't eat them." He said to his captain, who pouted. "Ok, let's go, but don't go out of sight. I don't want Luffy or Chopper wandering off and falling in the water where Blizzard or I can't see them." Usopp said. With that the group of friends raised their buckets and fishing nets and cheered before they went off in different directions to begin their hunt. **Wroing!** Luffy stretched his arm out to a nearby rock and shot over to it before landing on top at the edge of a large rock pool, and as he peered in he could sense many small movements within it. He grinned.

"Time to go fishing." He smiled before he quickly stuck his fishing net into the water. **Swish!** He swished the net thought the water before pulling it out, grinning at the little creature, which he'd caught, wriggling inside it, before he gently dropped it into his bucket with a plop. When he looked in, he smiled at a large crab which was 'glaring' up at him with red eyes. It only had one claw and the pincer was snapping at the raven haired boy menacingly.

"Shishishi! You're a fighter, aren't you? You remind me of Zoro." Luffy said to the crab as he teasingly stuck his finger in the bucket, only to yelp as the crab pinched his finger tightly. "OW!" he cried as he quickly pulled his finger away from the hot-tempered crustacean. "You remind me of Nami too." He muttered as he sucked his finger before picking up his bucket and moving onto the next pool.

XXX

Usopp gently picked his way over the rocks, careful not to slip on any seaweed, like he had done a few minutes ago and landed on a pile of sharp hard barnacles in the process. He'd need to see chopper later about his butt otherwise he may not be able to sit down for a week. As he came to nearby pool, he saw what looked like a small octopus with a red body and orange spots hiding on rock. Noticing Usopp it changed colour to try and hide itself, but it had already been spotted.

"Ah my old nemesis." He smirked at the memory of almost being drowned by a group of octopi in the aquarium. "You won't get away this time, you little sucker." **Swish!** He scooped up the octopus before dropping it into his bucket. "I'd like to see Luffy and the others beat this." **SPURT!** The angry octopi squirted a splash of ink in Usopp's face. "You little jerk!" he barked. "Do that again and I'll have Sanji fry you into octopus balls!"

XXX

Blizzard padded across the rocks as he peered into pools along the way to see what he could catch. He really liked the fresh salty smell of the sea water which was really clearing out his nose, so it was much easier for him to catch scent of anything. But just then something caught his eye.

"_I could've sworn I saw that seaweed move._" He thought until he looked closer and gasped. The 'seaweed' was moving. In fact it was shining many bright colours, and it had a long pointed snout. "_A sea dragon._" Blizzard gasped. "_They're really hard to find. She's beautiful. Looks like I've got this contest in the bag, or bucket._" He grinned before picking up his net in his teeth. "_I'll need to be careful not to hurt her. These are meant to be very delicate animals._" Very slowly he scooped up the sea dragon and gently lowered it into his bucket before gazing at the beautiful animal. "_There's no way the others can beat a sea dragon._"

XXX

After about an hour, the friends regrouped at the point where they'd split up, each carrying their buckets. For some reason, Chopper had a large rock covering the top of his.

"Ok, gentlemen. What have you to present?" Usopp said. Luffy went first as he showed Usopp his bucket. The sniper looked into it before looking back at Luffy, rather confused.

"A crab with one claw? Really?"

"No this guy's no ordinary crab. He's super tough. He beat up any other sea creatures I put in with him." Luffy said.

"Come on, Luffy. I know crabs can pinch, but how tough can he be with just one claw?" Blizzard asked.

"Watch." Luffy said before he reached into a pool and picked out a small shrimp before dropping it into the bucket. A few seconds passed and some water splashed out of the bucket before the group looked in to see the shrimp had completely vanished, and the crab was still there cleaning its claw.

"Big whoop. One shrimp doesn't prove any-YOW!" Usopp cried as the crab suddenly leapt out of the bucket and latched onto his nose with its claw. "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

"Haha! Looks like you pissed him off, Usopp." Chopper laughed as Luffy yanked the crab off Usopp's nose and put it back in his bucket.

"Okay, I admit he's tough for a crab with one claw. But that's nothing compared to my catch." Usopp said as he rubbed his nose and showed his bucket to the others.

"Ooh~!" Luffy and Chopper both said as they saw an assortment of small colourful fish and the octopus, that was now purple with yellow spots.

"Wow. It's like you caught a rainbow." Chopper said as he looked at all the colourful animals in awe.

"Yep. Let's see you or Blizzard beat that." Usopp grinned confidently. The wolf-dog padded forward before setting down his bucket. Usopp looked in before his eyes widened in disbelief. "No way…" he whispered.

"What? What is it?" Luffy asked as he looked in as well. "Seaweed? That's not an animal, Blizzard."

"_Look closer._" Blizzard said. Luffy did so before he gasped as well.

"The seaweed's alive!" he yelped.

"No, you dope! It's a sea dragon!" Usopp corrected him.

"What? But it has no wings. And it's tiny." Luffy said. Usopp sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No it's not a real dragon, it just looks like one. It's a breed of sea horse, and they're very hard to find. It's like the golden Hercules beetle of fish." Usopp explained.

"Really?! Then that's incredible! She sure is pretty. I think Blizzard's got us both beat." Luffy grinned, as Blizzard smiled proudly at his catch.

"My turn." Chopper piped up as he brought his bucket over.

"Yeah, why do you have a rock on top of your bucket, Chopper?" Usopp asked.

"Oh he doesn't like it in there very much, so he tried to jump out. I had to find a way to keep him in the bucket." Chopper explained before he gently lifted the rock off the bucket. A couple of seconds passed before a medium sized creature leapt out of the bucket and landed back in.

"What was that?!" Luffy exclaimed in surprise. He, Usopp and Blizzard cautiously looked over the bucket before all of their jaws dropped. The creature was lemon yellow with bulbous green eyes and pointed fins, as well a line of spines on its back.

"Chopper? Do you know what you've just caught?" Usopp said. The little reindeer shook his head. "It's a baby sea king! You found a baby sea king!"

"A sea king?!" Chopper yelped in shock.

"_Who'd have thought you'd find one in a rock pool. You're amazing, little bro!_" Blizzard said with an open smile.

"Cut it out~! That won't make me happy~!" Chopper giggled as he clapped his hooves.

"So who's the winner?" Luffy asked.

"You know, I can't decide." Usopp said. "Let's take our catch back to the others and have them decide." He then suggested.

"Great idea. I bet everyone's gonna be amazed at what we found!" Chopper said as the friends picked up their buckets and began to make their way back to the beach.

XXX

While Luffy and the others were out exploring, Zoro decided to try something else with Robin who was quietly reading another book in her deck chair.

"Hey Robin," he said, gaining her attention.

"Yes, dear?" she said.

"Do you…wanna go for a walk? The weather's great." Zoro suggested.

"Hmm…that would be nice, but I'm quite relaxed right now. How about we take a walk later?" she smiled.

"…Sure." Zoro murmured, as he glanced at Nami, who only shrugged. "_Hey, it's not over yet, you can still do this._" He thought. "Well is there anything I can get you? A drink maybe?" he offered.

"No thank you, Zoro, I'll be fine." Robin replied. Again with that friendly smile. Even though he knew she meant well, he couldn't help but see that smile as her way of just blowing him off. No. Her smile was one the things he loved most about her, just as Luffy loved Nami's smile so much. He wasn't beat yet. He would romance Robin before this day was out.

"OI~! GUYS~!" Zoro and the others turned to see Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard approaching.

"Did you have fun, boys?" Nami asked.

"Yeah! Just wait till you see what we caught." Usopp said as the four of them set their buckets down.

"Robin, Look what I found." Chopper said as he heald out a shiny brown conch shell with yellow swirls.

"What a pretty shell. That's a good find, Chopper." She said.

"I'd like you to have it. It'll look good on your desk." Chopper smiled as he handed it to her.

"That's so sweet of you, Chopper. Thank you." Robin said as she took the shell before giving the little reindeer a kiss on the cheek, making him shuffle bashfully with a small grin as he touched his cheek. Zoro, noticing this, couldn't help but feel jealous, despite knowing Chopper was just being friendly and Robin was just showing her motherly side.

"So what did you catch?" he asked, to redirect the conversation.

"Oh yeah, you're right." Usopp said. "Check this out." he showed the bucket to the other crew members.

"Wow! That's a SUPER colourful catch, there, Usopp!" Franky grinned at the many fish and the camouflaging octopus.

"Just beautiful~" Nami said in awe.

"They'll look so wonderful in the aquarium." Brook sang.

"Me next!" Luffy said, as he showed his bucket to the crew.

"A crab?" Nami said, confused.

"I know it looks like nothing, but this crab is super strong. He beat up all the sea animals I put in the bucket with him." Luffy said.

"It's true. He pinched my nose as well." Usopp said.

"It does look pretty tough." Zoro agreed as he looked at the crab which snapped it's pincer up at him.

"Well I'll take your word for it, guys." Nami said.

"You'll see. Just wait till I put him in the aquarium." Luffy grinned at the crustacean.

"Now it's Blizzard's turn." Chopper said, as the aforementioned wolf-dog stepped forward with his catch. "He says 'You won't believe your eyes.'" Chopper then translated, as Blizzard showed the others what he'd caught. Their mouths fell open.

"A sea dragon!" Robin gasped.

"They're really rare!" Nami said in equal shock.

"Amazing! You're a spectacular fisherman, or 'fisherdog', Blizzard." Brook said, as Blizzard barked happily at the compliment.

"So what did you catch, Chopper?" Robin asked.

"A baby sea king." Chopper replied.

"Get out of here." Franky said. Chopper lifted the rock off his bucket and the crew gasped as the medium sized yellow and green fish leapt out of the bucket and landed back in, snapping it's jaws.

"WHOAH! You weren't kidding, Chopper!" Nami exclaimed.

"I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest. Ah, I don't have one. Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed.

"You should probably let it go, Chopper. Sea kings don't belong in buckets." Nami said.

"I know. I was going to let him go, after you've decided who the winner is." Chopper said.

"Winner?

"Yeah, see we were having a contest to who could catch the best sea creature, but we couldn't decide ourselves so we thought you should decide." Luffy explained.

"Well you all seemed to catch some pretty neat animals. It'd be too difficult to decide between the four of you." Nami said.

"Yeah, I say you call it a draw." Franky agreed.

"Really?" Chopper asked.

"Yeah, you're all great rock-poolers." Nami smiled.

"YEAH!" Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard cheered, while the rest of the crew smiled.

"I'm back." The group then turned to see Sanji finally arrive back from his women hunt, a red palm mark on one of his cheeks.

"So they finally slapped some sense into ya?" Zoro smirked.

"No! They politely asked me to leave and I obliged." Sanji replied.

"Yeah, but what they didn't tell you, was that they plan on having a restraining order written for them." Zoro said back.

"That's just cause I'm too overwhelming for them!" Sanji argued back.

"Yeah, you are."

"Yeah that's ri-WAIT A MINUTE!" Sanji realised.

"Okay, enough fighting. We're here to enjoy ourselves, remember?" Nami said.

"Yeah, how 'bout you fire up the barbeque? I'm starving." Luffy said.

"Right, I'm on it." Sanji said as he got started preparing dinner. After the crew had eaten, a few large waves began to appear at one end of the beach. This, of course, got the misfit quartet in the mood for surfing, with Luffy pairing with Blizzard and Chopper pairing with Usopp. But as Zoro watched his friends enjoying themselves in the water, that's when he got an idea. The perfect idea to romance Robin, and the timing couldn't be better.

"Hey, Zoro." He turned to see his lover smiling at him. "I think I could go for that walk now." He smiled back at her before offering his hand to her, which she accepted, before the two of them began to quietly walk along the shore together, neither one speaking, just enjoying the many sounds around them; the gulls, the lapping of the waves, the soft wind and the laughter of their friends.

"This has been a wonderful day." Robin said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah. It's always nice to take a break from it all once in a while." Zoro agreed, until he spotted a really large pool of sea water nearby, surrounded by a ring of rocks. "_Perfect_." He thought. "Hey, Robin?"

"Hmm?"

"I've actually gotten rather warm from all this sun today. Not to mention you're picking up quite a tan yourself." The archaeologist blushed at the comment. "So how 'bout we cool off a little?" Zoro smiled as he began to lead her toward the pool.

"You mean…in the sea?" Robin said a little hesitant. Zoro didn't reply as he stepped over the rocks and into the pool, the water reaching up just below his arm pits.

"Come on, the water's fine."

"Um, I'm not sure that's safe for me, Zoro." Robin said.

"Don't worry, it's not that deep. Just take my hand. I won't let you go." Zoro said as he held out to her. Robin looked at his hand for a few moments before she took off her shawl and slowly made her way towards him and tentatively took his hand, as she stepped onto the rocks. As she gently stuck one of her feet in, she flinched at the sea water beginning to take its toll.

"It's alright. Trust me." Zoro smiled as he took her other hand and slowly brought her into the water. At first she trembled from the sea water sapping her energy, but as Zoro held her close and gently kissed her, she found herself no longer feeling weak, but relaxed, and so safe within his arms. She gently hugged him and ticked her head into the crook of his neck. Zoro smiled at this and tightened his hold on her.

"Zoro…" she could only murmur.

"Yeah, I bet you never thought I could think up something this romantic." Zoro smirked.

"I've never felt so safe in my entire life. I never want this feeling to end." Robin whispered.

"It never has. You'll always be safe with us…with me." Zoro breathed. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, until Robin fell asleep in his embrace. The swordsman then carried her back to the sunny where the others were just boarding. Noticing them, Nami and Luffy smiled.

"So how'd it go?" Luffy grinned.

"You were right. You both were." The captain and navigator both smiled again as Zoro carried Robin onto the ship, before following them and setting sale.

XXX

After leaving, Luffy, Usopp and Blizzard added their rock pool creatures to the aquarium (except for Chopper who had to let the sea king pup go).

"Wow. You were right, Luffy. That crab is tough." Usopp said as they watched the one clawed crab stand victorious over a much larger crab which it had just had a fight with.

"Yep. This guy won't beaten till he's eaten." Luffy snickered.

"And he won't be eaten till he's beaten." Chopper giggled.

"You're dragon seems to be enjoying herself as well, buddy." Luffy said to Blizzard who was proudly gazing at the colourful sea horse which had been floating in front of the glass for a while, looking back at him.

"I think she likes you, big brother." Chopper grinned.

"_What?!_" Blizzard spluttered.

"Well you did say she was beautiful and you rescued her from that tiny rock pool. You're her knight, Blizzard." Luffy laughed.

"Looks like you've got a girlfriend, Blizzy." Usopp snickered.

"_Oh screw you guys!_" Blizzard barked as he stomped off in embarrassment.

"Aw come on, we were just messing with ya~." Luffy pouted sarcastically while Chopper and Usopp rolled on the floor laughing. Meanwhile, Zoro and Robin were sitting at one of the bar couches watching the childish trio teasing Blizzard. Robin chuckled while Zoro rolled his eyes.

"Those boys." Robin smiled.

"Yeah, when are they ever gonna grow up?" Zoro said

"Hmm…"

"Don't answer that." Zoro added quickly causing her to chuckle again. "But changing the subject, there's something I need to tell you."

"And what's that?" Robin asked.

"Robin…do you think I'm boring?"

"What?" Robin asked, showing a hint of laughter in her voice.

"I asked, do you think I'm boring?"

"Really?" Robin laughed at the question.

"_Same reaction as Luffy and Nami_." Zoro thought.

"Zoro, where would you get an idea like that?" Robin said.

"It's just that…we haven't really had any…um…fun in love life for a while and I was worried you were bored of me, and that we'd lost the spark. So I asked Luffy and Nami for advice on how to be more romantic with you. That's why I offered to help you with your sun block, get you a drink or take you for that walk."

"But that moment we spent in the rock pool was your idea wasn't it?" Robin asked.

"Oh yes, that part was my thinking." Zoro said.

"Then there's your answer. You knew how to be romantic all along. You just had to wait for the right moment." Those last words echoed in Zoro's mind as he recalled Luffy and Nami saying the same thing about their love life. "And as for why I haven't been more intimate with you recently…well that was just because I was too caught up with my reading. I can't pretend none of this is my fault. I'm sorry if I made you feel left out and I'm sorry I got you worried about our spark. But I want you to know that it never went out. If anything, you just made it stronger. But I promise you, from now on I will make more time for our love life."

"Thank's Robin. I love you." Zoro said.

"I love you too. So much." Robin replied as she kissed him sweetly, but then a small glint of lust appeared in her eye. "You know. You were right. All that sun today has really warmed me up. I feel a little stuffy in all this clothing." She said seductively as she pressed her chest against Zoro's, making him blush as he looked away from her cleavage. "Do you think, maybe…you could come help me change into something a little…lighter~?" she asked as she pressed up against him again, wrapping her arms around his neck forcing him to look deep into her beautiful, azure eyes. Zoro stared lustfully into them before he grinned and gently picked her up, bridal style, and began to make his way out of the aquarium bar, but not before turning aback.

"Hey, Luffy?!" he called to his captain who looked at him, as did Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard. "I'm afraid one of you guys will have to take my watch for tonight." Luffy looked at his first mate for a few seconds before her grinned cheekily at him and flashed him a wink and a thumbs up.

"I've got ya covered, Zoro." He said, as Zoro smiled back at him and continued on to his and Robin's room to begin a night that would take their love life to the next level.

The End


	12. Usopp and Chopper's Day-Care

Usopp and Chopper have been left with the task of looking after Luffy and Nami's daughter Belle for the day and though this task seems simple at first, the two Straw-hats find that this may prove to be a much more difficult takes than they think.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard, Belle and Hanako belong to XfangheartX**

* * *

The morning sun was very lazily beginning to crawl over the horizon, as Brook quietly stepped out onto the lawn deck and cleared his throat, violin at the ready.

"Ahe-hem. Good morning, everyone~! Another new day is born~! And now for the wake-up song~!" But just as he was about to play the first note of his incredibly annoying, but also catchy song…

**WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!**

Brook leapt about ten feet in the air from the sudden sea-shaking cry that exploded throughout the Sunny.

"SHUT UP BROOK!" Zoro roared as he flung open the door to his and Robin's bedroom, the latter standing behind him. **SMASH!** He suddenly grabbed a stool from the room and threw it at the skeleton. "I think I prefer your stupid handkerchief octopus song! Now you're just screaming!"

"Not I, Zoro." Brook said as he pulled one of the stool legs out of his afro. "I'd never make a sound like that in one of my songs."

"Then who was it?! I'm still tired!" Zoro snarled.

"I don't know, it could've been any-"

**WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!**

"There it is again." Brook said with his hands over his 'ears'.

"WHO'S CRYING?!" Sanji said who stumbled out of the men's quarters with heavy eyelids.

"Brook, was that you?" Franky groaned as he walked out as well followed by Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard.

"No it wasn't me, it was-"

**WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!** The high pitched wail sounded for the third time making the crew grab their ears again.

"Dad, Mum, what's going on?" the crew turned to see six-year-old Hanako walk out of his bedroom, rubbing his eyes, his moss green hair all frizzy.

"Someone's having trouble sleeping, Hanako." Robin said to her son, before Zoro said,

"And so will the rest of us if they don't sto-"

**WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!** This time it sounded even louder and closer.

"DAMMIT!" he then cursed. But the crew got their answer to who the culprit was when Luffy and Nami finally joined them, the former carrying a small wailing bundle: his one year old daughter.

"Sorry, everyone." Luffy apologised. "Belle's starving."

"How hungry can she be?!" Zoro said in absolute shock and anger. "Even Hanako didn't cry that much when he was that young."

"Hey." Hanako pouted.

"Not only that, but the last of her teeth are coming in." Nami explained.

"Well that's good to hear at least. She wouldn't stop for three nights when she started teething." Usopp groaned.

"Don't remind me of that hell." Zoro said.

"Hey, she stopped crying." Chopper spoke up. Indeed, the tiny raven haired baby had stopped weeping.

"She must have worn herself out." Sanji assumed

"Guess so. That little tyke is SUPER energetic for her age." Franky said.

"You know now that we're all up, I guess we'll be having an early breakfast today, thanks to are noisy little princess." Nami said.

"Yeah! Food!" Luffy cheered.

"Guess so. I am wide awake now." Sanji agreed, as he and the crew made their way to the kitchen.

XXX

After a rather lively meal (which involved Luffy trying to mooch off the others as usual, Hanako sneaking Blizzard some of his food, and Belle throwing her spoon at Zoro) the crew got ready to head into town to gather the last of their supplies before departing. However, being that this was one of Luffy's marked islands, he and Nami would have to go and collect their payment from the island's occupants. Plus, they'd received word that there was a clan of bandits nearby that had kidnapped some of the villagers, so they'd have to sort that out too. So it was decided that half the crew would deal with the bandits and rescue the hostages while the other half went to collect supplies and Luffy and Nami would collect the payment from the island. But because of all this, there was just one problem: someone would have to look after Belle while the others were gone.

"Okay, it's decided. Sanji, Hanako and Robin will gather supplies. Brook, Franky, Zoro and Blizzard stop the bandits and save the hostages, and Nami and I will go collect our payment. So… I'm assigning Usopp and Chopper to babysit Belle for the day." Luffy said.

"Oh do we have to, Luffy? She's such a handful." Chopper complained.

"Come on, don't be like that. Remember when I had to babysit Hanako for the day. The two of us had tons of fun." Luffy said as he ruffled his nephew's hair, making him laugh. "I know you two can take care of Belle. You're both great uncles."

"Please, guys. It's just for the day. You just have to feed her, play with her and make sure she gets her nap." Nami said.

"You make it sound easy." Usopp muttered.

"Come on, don't be a prat, Uncle Usopp. You'll love spending time with Belle, I promise." Hanako said.

"Oh alright, well do it." Usopp sighed.

"Thanks a lot guys, you're the best." Nami said as she hugged them both. "But. If I come back and find anything bad has happened to my little Sweetie-Belle, I'll have your rear and front ends cut off mounted over my fireplace." Usopp and Chopper's pupils shrank to pin points.

"Why take both ends?" Luffy asked.

"Just so I can scare them into taking the job seriously." Nami whispered to him with a grin. "Well have fun you two. We'll be back later this afternoon." She then said to Usopp and Chopper before the crew made their way into town leaving the long nosed simper and reindeer doctor behind. They gulped.

"Well. We better get started looking after Belle." Usopp said.

"And not let anything happen to her." Chopper added.

"Or else Nami'll cut our heads and butts off," Usopp began.

"And mount them on the wall." Chopper finished with terror in his voice. They gulped again before heading to Luffy and Nami's room where they found Belle dressed in pretty pink feety pyjamas sitting in her play pen holding a mini Thousand Sunny that Usopp had made for her first birthday. Sensing their presence she looked up and squealed happily at them.

"Hi~ Hi Belle~" Usopp cooed as he waved at her, receiving a clumsy wave back.

"Well she seems happy." Chopper smiled, who was hanging off the fence of the play pen.

"Yeah." Usopp said before pulling out a piece of paper: the babysitting to-do list. "Okay, she has her lunch at 12:00 (same time as us). Her nap at 1:00, her dinner at 4:00 and playtime in-between." He read out.

"That doesn't sound so hard." Chopper said, as he playfully held his hoof out to Belle who tried to grab it.

"Well then. Let's get started." Said Usopp as he and Chopper carefully opened the gat to the playpen, Belle looking at the two of them curiously. "We're gonna have lots of fun today Belle~" he said as he leaned closer to Belle so she could see him smile at her. She smiled back and gurgled as she playfully touched his face with her tiny hands making him chuckle until she suddenly grabbed his nose.

"Hey." Usopp said, slightly annoyed, his voice now sounding funny from nose being held, as Belle let out a loud squeal of laughter and continued to play with his nose.

"She's got your nose, Usopp." Chopper laughed.

"Oh ha-ha, vewy funny." Usopp muttered, his voice still sounding strange, and Belle still giggling. But then she noticed Chopper and let go of Usopp's nose before she began to crawl over to the reindeer with a wide open smile on her face.

"Hi Belle. You wanna play paddy cake?" Chopper smiled as he held his hooves out to her, but instead of clapping her hands against them, Belle picked Chopper up and squeezed him.

"Teddy~!" she laughed.

"No, Belle. I'm not your teddy. I'm your Uncle Chopper, remember?" Chopper said as he tried to get Belle to let go, but she only giggled and cuddled him tighter, twisting her body from side to side as she hugged him.

"AWW~! Isn't that cute~" Usopp cooed, holding his hands to his cheeks and putting on a face. "Belle's got a new teddy to wuv~"

"Usopp help, she's squeezing me!" Chopper cried as Belle suddenly planted a big wet kiss on both of his cheeks. **Smooch! Smooch!** "Oh yuck! She's getting drool on me~!"

"Aww don't be a stiff. She just loves you so much." Usopp laughed, as he watched his friend and niece.

"Usopp please get her off me. I feel like I'm in a vice and her kisses are all sloppy." Chopper whined as Belle continued to hug and kiss him.

"Oh alright then." Usopp said as he shuffled over to them. "Okay Belle, I think you've had enough time cuddling Chopper now." Belle looked at him only to pout and hug Chopper tighter. "Come on, don't you pout at me. Chopper's had enough." Usopp said as he gently grabbed Chopper and began to pull him away, only for Belle to pull back. The mini tug of war continued for a couple of seconds before Usopp pulled a little harder and managed to get Chopper out of Belle's grasp. Big mistake.

**WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!** Belle cried for her 'teddy'.

"Never mind." Usopp said quickly as he handed Chopper back to Belle who immediately stopped crying and hugged him, pressing her cheek against his and nuzzling into his fur, letting out cute contented noises.

"Usopp~." Chopper whined.

"Sorry, little buddy, but if it means keeping our heads and asses still attached, then you're just gonna have to endure all the hugs and kisses she gives you."

"But Usopp-"

"No buts. You just be a good teddy bear and keep Belle smiling and I'll be back later so we can feed her." Usopp said before walking out of the play pen and shutting the gate, leaving Belle still cuddling the poor, trapped Chopper.

XXX

About an hour later, Usopp had set everything up for his, Chopper's and Belle's lunch, and when he returned to Luffy and Nami's bedroom, he stifled a laugh when he found her fast asleep, but still holding Chopper in a vice grip, the little reindeer looking very grumpy.

"Looks like you two had fun." Usopp grinned.

"Speak for Belle." Chopper grumbled. "I'm all hugged out and I've got drool all over my fur from her kisses."

"Just wait till Nami hears about this. She'll probably never let you leave Belle again." Usopp snickered as he picked her up.

"You try playing teddy bear for an hour and fifteen minutes." Chopper muttered as he wiped his cheeks and walked through the playpen gate. "Let's just get her fed. I'm quite hungry myself."

"Yeah me too." Usopp agreed as they headed back to the kitchen. Chopper sat himself at one of the chairs opposite Belle, who'd just been placed in her high-chair by Usopp. The tot had woken up by this point and was stretching her arm out towards Chopper, giggling.

"Looks like she still wants to play." Usopp grinned.

"Yeah well not at lunch." Chopper said. "Now since her teeth are almost in, she should be able eat partially hard food. Banana slices, bread pieces and peeled grapes should be fine."

"Good call." Usopp said as he began preparing the food for Belle, while Chopper started eating his own lunch.

"I wonder how the others are getting on?" Chopper said.

"Probably busy getting supplies or beating up bandits." Usopp assumed as he set down Belle's food and joined Chopper.

"I just hope they get back soon." Chopper said.

"Oh come on, this is hardly difficult. We just have to keep Belle company and make sure she stays in one piece." Said Usopp.

"Easy for you to say."

"Oh you're not still grumpy about being Belle's teddy bear, are you? Who holds a grudge against a baby?"

"No it's not like that. I just feel so under pressure from what Nami said."

"Oh you seriously believe she'd do 'that' to us?"

"Um…"

"Don't answer that. Look the point is we can take care of Belle just-" **Pop!** A peeled grape suddenly flew across the table and bounced off Usopp's nose, followed by Belle laughing. "Hey, didn't your mother tell you not to play with your food?" Usopp said, only to receive a banana slice to the forehead and another laugh from the pipsqueak who clapped her hands. "Alright, missy, that's enough throwing food. Now how about you start eating it instead?" Usopp said as he walked over to her and leaned down to her height. Belle stared at him for moment before she took off his hat and put it on her head, giggling.

"You're just too much, kiddo." Usopp smiled, receiving more baby talk for a reply.

XXX

After lunch, Usopp and Chopper took Belle back to her playpen before her nap, but to make sure she wouldn't get lonely, the two friends decided to remain in Luffy and Nami's room with her, while playing a game of chess to keep them occupied. Chopper rubbed his chin as he thought before one of his pieces across the board.

"Got you now, long nose." He grinned. Usopp noticed that Chopper was coming close to trapping his king, until he got an idea. An awful idea. Usopp got a wonderful, awful idea. He suddenly looked behind Chopper and began nodding his head up and down as if he was looking at someone jumping.

"Cor! Chopper look over there! It's Hachi and Keimi, on a trampoline!"

"Where?!" Chopper said as he turned around. **Swish!** While the reindeer wasn't looking, Usopp spun the board around, switching the sides. "Stop winding me up, Usopp. There's no one there." Chopper said as he turned back around. "Have you moved?" he asked.

"Yes. Your go." Usopp smirked. Chopper looked at the board before smiling and moving his piece. "Check, mate. Yes!" he cheered. Usopp now looking absolutely baffled over not seeing he could have won.

"Right. Next time we play scrabble." He said.

"Why's that?"

"Cause that way I'll get the last word." Usopp grinned sending the two friends into a fit of laughter, closely followed by Belle who laughed with them.

"Okay, well that's one o'clock, so it's time for her nap." Chopper said.

"Right." Usopp replied as he lifted Belle out of her playpen, while Chopper pulled down the fence to her cot before Usopp placed her in it, gently pulling her blanket over her. "Now how do we get to fall asleep?" he then asked.

"You could tell her a story." Chopper said.

"I'd like to save that for later. It's just her afternoon nap." Usopp said.

"True. Oh I know. Get one of Brook's tone dials, with that special lullaby on it."

"Good idea, Chopper." Usopp said as he ran off before quickly returning with a purple tone dial with little sheep painted on it, showing that it contained a lullaby. **Click!** He pressed the apex before a soothing melody began to emerge from the shell: a combination of a violin, piano and ocarina.

"So beautiful~." Chopper said, a little drowsy.

"Yeah…it is…" Usopp said as he yet out a yawn, while he placed the dial on the table and stumbled over to Belle's cot so he could pull the fence back up. "Sweet dreams, Belle." He said as he gently stroked the tot's black hair, who was beginning to fall asleep as well. Satisfied, Usopp then clumsily walked over to Luffy and Nami's bed, with Chopper following. **THWUMP!** They both flopped face first onto the bed, instantly dozing off from the music just as the dial finished playing its song.

XXX

As Usopp and Chopper woke up with a yawn and a stretch they saw, from the clock, that about half an hour had passed.

"Nice nap." Chopper said as he craned his neck, letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, brook really knows how to put people to sleep." Usopp agreed. "Especially our little niece." He then said as he turned to look at her, but then… "B…B-B-B….Be-"

"What is it, Usopp?" Chopper asked, as his friend stuttered and pointed, and as Chopper looked where he was pointing he felt his heart and stomach fall all the way to his feet.

"BELLE'S GONE~!" they both screamed. Indeed she was. The fence of her cot was down, and the raven haired baby was nowhere to be seen.

"The fence must have not been fully closed, and she pulled it down!" Usopp assumed with his hands on his head in terror.

"Then where is she?!" Chopper panicked.

"It's only been half an hour, so she couldn't have gone far. Let's search the ship!" Usopp said.

"Okay!" Copper replied as the two pirates dashed off to try and find her.

XXX

"Belle~!" Usopp called as he looked in the kitchen.

"Belle~!" Chopper cooed while looking under the bed in the medical bay.

"Bellemere~!" Usopp said rummaging through the library.

"Belle? Belle? Belle? Belle? Belle? Belle?" Chopper said checking all six channels of the soldier dock system.

"MONKEY D. BELLEMERE~?!" they both called in the middle of the deck.

"What do we do, Usopp? What do we do?! Luffy and the others will be back soon. And when Nami finds out we lost her only daughter…"

~_Scary vision_~

Four plaques are welded to the wall of Luffy and Nami's room above the fireplace. They are revealed to bear Usopp and Chopper's heads (their eyes bulging and mouths gaping in terror) and rear ends (with their pants still on). Nami is casually relaxing in a chair sipping some tea with a calm smile on her face.

~_Scary vision end_~

"AAAAAAAAAAHHH~!" Usopp and Chopper screamed at the thought as they hugged each other in fear. But at that moment they heard a squeal. Both Straw-hats dashed over to the side of the ship before they gasped. There was Belle, crawling along the cobbled streets towards a nearby shop.

"Look, there she goes!" Usopp cried as they both scrambled after their little niece who had just climbed up a stack of crates and through the open window to the shop (which was currently closed).

"No Belle, come back!" Chopper said as he climbed through after her, followed by Usopp. The two pirates found themselves in a china shop of all places but couldn't seem to spot Belle.

"Where could she be?" Chopper asked, as he looked around.

"Wait, I can see her up there." Usopp pointed to a high shelf that Belle was crawling along, the shelf of course, presenting many fine plates.

"Oh this can only end badly." Chopper said. But they gasped as belle nudged one of the plates as she was passing it, causing the plate to fall form the shelf.

"NO!" Usopp cried as he dived for the plate and managed to catch it. "Phew~!" but then he looked up to see Belle nudging more and more plates as she crawled along the shelf. "Uh-oh. Chopper!" he called to the reindeer. "Don't let any of those plates smash. We can't let anyone know we were here."

"I'm on it, Usopp!" Chopper said, as he dashed over to the shelf just as two more of the plates fell. The two pirates madly dashed under the shelf comically catching every plate that Belle unintentionally knocked off, until there was a large stack of plates laying in the middle of the room and Usopp and Chopper were both panting beside it.

"That…was...too…close…" the former panted.

"I…know…" Chopper said, until he gasped. "WAIT BELLE!"

"OH CRAP, YEAH!" Usopp said. "There she is, she's headed back for the window!" indeed Belle was crawling back along the empty shelf towards the window she'd climbed through. "Quick! Get the plates back up! We can't let anyone know we were here!" As fast as they could, Usopp and chopper stacked all the plates back onto the shelf, just as belle was beginning to climb through the window.

"NO! DON'T LET HER FALL!" Chopper cried as they both made a dash for the window, but Belle had already tumbled through.

"BELLE!" they both yelled as they stuck their heads through the window, but their faces grew quizzical when they saw she wasn't on the ground.

"Where'd she go?" Usopp asked.

"Wait, look over there!" Chopper pointed. Usopp turned his head to the left before gasping. Just a few feet away, a man was pulling a cart of tangerines down the road, and Belle's upper half was sticking out of the pile of fruits. She laughed and waved to her uncles before disappearing into the mountain of tangerines.

"After that cart!" Usopp pointed as the two tried to squeeze through the window at the same time. "Move you're in my way!"

"Now _YOU'RE_ in _MY_ way!" Chopper argued until after about ten seconds of arguing and struggling, they managed get through the window, and could faintly see the cart continuing down the street.

"Hurry we can't lose her! Our heads and asses depend on it!" Usopp yelled as they gave chase after the cart with their niece in it. But as they followed it round a corner, Usopp suddenly came to a grinding halt and grabbed hold of Chopper so he wouldn't ruin any farther.

"What are you doing, we have to go after-MMPH!" Chopper's sentence was cut short by Usopp's hand, before the sniper shushed him silently and pointed. Chopper followed his finger before noticing Sanji, Robin and Hanako passing by the alley they were about go dashing out of. A few seconds passed as the trio walked away, before Usopp sighed.

"That was close. We can't let any of the guys see us or we're busted." He said. "Now let's go" he added as they continued after Belle, before rounding the next corner to see the cart pull up to a nearby warehouse. The man then put the cart down before walking over to another man nearby, who began to pay him some money.

"He must be making a delivery." Chopper guessed.

"Yeah, come on! Belle's right there." Usopp said as they began to run towards the cart, when suddenly.

"HEY YOU TWO! STOP!" The two pirates froze before they turned around to see two men approaching them. Each holding their bounty posters.

"Oh shit. Why do we have to deal with bounty hunters at this time of all times?" Usopp whimpered.

"Are these the ones?" the first man asked.

"There's no doubt about it. They're the ones we've been searching for." The second man said as they approached Usopp and Chopper and then held out their wanted posters. "Could my friend and I get an autograph?" he then asked.

"Au…autograph?" Usopp asked, confused.

"Yeah. See my son's always been a big fan of yours, Mr Usopp." The man said. "He's training to be a sniper himself and I just know an autograph from his idol would give him all the confidence he needs."

"That's right. And my daughter plans on becoming a doctor." He second man said to Chopper. "She's always admired your medical skills so my wife and I agreed that if you somehow managed to support her dream in any way, then there's no way she'd give up. Just your hand written name would be enough for her." Usopp and Chopper were both surprised beyond belief.

"O-o-of course!" they said gladly as they wrote a short sentence each on their posters along with their names.

"This means so much." The first man said with a bow.

"My daughter's gonna be so happy when she gets this. You really can cure anything, Dr Chopper." The second man said as he shook the reindeer's hoof.

"Happy to help, my good men." Usopp said proudly. "Have a great day, and we'll be on our way."

"Thanks again!" the men said as they walked off.

"Wow, what nice blokes." Chopper said.

"Yeah, it's great to know that we've inspired the next generation." Usopp grinned, until he remembered. "BELLE!"

"OH NO!" Chopper realised as well as they turned back around but gasped at what they saw next. The man then brought his cart over to a chute in the wall before he tipped all the tangerines into it and began to tow his now empty cart away.

"BELLE NO!" Usopp and Chopper both cried as they dashed inside the warehouse. Unbeknownst to them however, while they'd been singing their autographs, Belle had climbed out of the cart and was now enjoying one of the tangerines she'd picked out of the cart. It was surprising she'd been able to peel it, being a one-year-old.

XXX

"SEARCH EVERYWHERE!" Usopp yelled as the two split up. Usopp ran down one corridor before he found himself in a room with a glass wall with a conveyor belt behind it. "What kind of place is this?!" he asked but then he gasped when he saw the pile of tangerines move along the conveyor belt. "BELLE!"

XXX

"Belle~?!" Chopper called as he looked in several rooms for the squirt, but found nothing but lots of cardboard cartons on shelves.

"Just where do all these tangerines go?!" he asked.

XXX

Back with Usopp, he watched in absolute terror as two large tenderizers began to pound and smash the tangerines mercilessly. **SPLAT! SQUISH! SPLAT! SQUISH! SPLAT!** The sniper seeing this immediately collapsed with a sickly look on his face. Next the mashed fruits went into some sort of filter which began to shake violent, filtering out all the tangerine peels. **BRRRRRRRR!** Usopp, who'd managed to get back to feet, only fell right back down as he saw the horror. Finally, the fruity pulp slopped into a gigantic blender which immediately began to dice and juice the pulp with its razor blades. **BWEEEEEEEEE!** The poor terrified Usopp only managed to peek over the edge before once again sinking to the floor, his face deathly pale. Until finally…a line of cartons…of tangerine juice came riding out on the conveyor belt, outside the glass wall, in front of Usopp who slowly began to approach them. He could only choke on his own gasps as his hands trembled above one of the cartons.

"Be…Be…..Beeee….~" Thud! He then fell back once more in a dead faint.

XXX

Chopper, by this point had searched the whole warehouse and was now back outside waiting for Usopp. Seconds later he turned to see his friend slowly trudging out of the warehouse sniffling, holding the carton of juice.

"Usopp! I searched everywhere, but she's not here. Did you find her?!" Chopper asked as Usopp looked at him with a runny nose and eyes, before he held out the carton. "Usopp. That's tangerine juice." Chopper said.

"Be…Be…" Usopp tried to say only to sob even harder and pointed to the carton. Chopper, getting the message turned so pale you could see it through his fur.

"Oh no…." he whispered, his voice breaking and his eyes beginning to water.

"Chopper, we…we…WE'RE THE WORST UNCLES **ALIVIIIHIHIHIIIIVE~!**" he bawled as he hugged the carton of juice.

"SHE'S GOOOONE~! Chopper wailed as he tried to dry his eyes which wouldn't stop leaking tears.

"I can still hear her sweet little voice~!" Usopp cried.

"Me too! If I could just let her hug me one more time…and hear her adorable laugh that's sweeter than that juice I'd…I'd...!" Chopper sobbed as he sat on the ground crying.

"Teddy." Belle said, who'd just crawled up to them and pulled Chopper into soft hug, humming contently.

"No, Belle. For the last time, I'm not your teddy bear." Chopper said as he tried to gently push the baby off, until both he and Usopp froze solid. Several long seconds of silence passed, which was then broken by Usopp dropping the carton of tangerine juice.

"BELLE~!" they both cried in a mixture of shock and joy. **SNATCH!** Usopp immediately picked up Belle, who was still holding Chopper, and hugged her tightly (but not too tightly).

"Belle, you're alive! We we're so worried-we we're so scared-we we're…don't you ever wander off like that again, young lady." He then said sternly to the tot, who looked apologetic, before he sighed and hugged her gently. "Oh, but we're just so relived you're ok." He smiled. Belle let out a squeal of laughter as she hugged her uncle's head lovingly as well.

"Yeah, otherwise, the crew would have been drinking you for breakfast tomorrow." Chopper giggled.

"Don't say that, Chopper. You sound like Robin." Usopp said. "Now let's go home." He then said as he began to walk back to the ship, cradling Belle who was still cuddling Chopper, but the reindeer didn't seem to mind this time. But as they reached the town square, they ducked back in the alley, to see the whole crew pass by them, the town cheering the crew, and they could just see a group of men woman and children, who looked a little scruffy, like they'd been kept in a dirty cell for a while: the rescued hostages.

"Man what a day." Luffy said. "I'm ready to eat after all that work."

"What work?" Zoro snorted. "You just collected your payment with Nami. Me and the guys did all the hard work."

"Yeah, but it's still a big responsibility being the protector of this island." Luffy replied.

"Whatever. Let's just go home already. I feel like a nap right now. Even if those bandits were piss easy to fight."

"I sure hope Uncle Usopp and uncle Chopper are alright." Hanako said.

"I'm sure they're fine, honey." Robin said to her son. "They'll have had plenty of fun with Belle today."

"I just hope they didn't let anything happen to her." Nami said.

"Don't worry, Nami. You trust Usopp and Chopper, don't you?" Luffy asked.

"Of course I do. I just can't help but worry when it comes to my little girl." Nami said.

"Well no need to worry. Cause I promise when we get back, she'll be right there with two of her best uncles ever." Luffy said as the group continued on, past Usopp, Chopper and Belle.

"Crap. We need to get back to Sunny on the double." Usopp said.

"Leave it to me, Usopp." Chopper said as he managed to wriggle out of Belle's arms and transformed into his walk point. "Get on."

"Alright Chopper! NOW GO! GIDDY UP! YA! YA! YA!" he ordered, before Chopper reared on his back legs and galloped off towards the ship. Of course, the two had to take a different route so as not to cross paths with Luffy and the others.

"YA! YA! YA! GIDDYUP!" Usopp called as Chopper turned another corner sharply, before they saw the ship in sight. "There she is!"

"We can't risk taking the gang plank in case the crew's in front of the ship. I have to jump to the rear! That way they won't see us." Chopper said as he picked up speed, Usopp still holding Belle tightly. With that, Chopper then took a flying leap off the peer and landed safely on the ship, just as the crew rounded the corner.

"Hey there they are." Luffy said as he and the others made their way onto the ship. "Hi guys!"

"Hey Luffy." Usopp and Chopper both waved.

"How's my little princess~?" Luffy said as he took Belle from Usopp.

"Glad to see she's safe and sound, as well as happy. I guess I can trust you two after all. I'm happy to call you her uncles." Nami smiled as she and Luffy gave their daughter a kiss on both her cheeks, making her laugh.

"By the way, why are you in walk point, Chopper? And why's Usopp riding you?" Zoro asked.

"Oh we were just playing horsey." Chopper said.

"I just hope she wasn't too much trouble." Luffy said.

"All I can say is she's definitely your daughter, Luffy." Usopp grinned, causing the rest of the crew to laugh, including himself.

XXX

Later that evening, as the crew was preparing for bed…

**WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!**

"Belle, sweetheart, please go to sleep~." Luffy moaned as he rocked Belle back and forth. "Do you think she's hungry?"

"No she's not hungry. I tired giving her, her bottle but she wasn't hungry." Nami said who also seemed fed up. "Do you want your teddy, Sweetie-Belle?" she asked as she held a stuffed bear out to Belle, who only scrunched her face up in a moan and knocked it away, before crying again. But just then, the door opened to reveal Usopp and Chopper.

"Guys. Look we're sorry, but we'll get Belle to calm down any second." Luffy said.

"No-no-no. Just bring her over here. We'll handle this." Usopp said. Luffy and Nami looked at the pair inquisitively as Usopp and Chopper both sat down on their bed. "You know what to do, Chopper." The little reindeer nodded before he plopped himself down in Usopp's lap.

"Just put her beside me, Luffy." He then said. The captain then came forward before he placed Belle beside Chopper who then stopped crying before pulling him into a hug again, nuzzling his fur.

"Aww~! That's so adorable~!" Nami swooned at the sight of Belle cuddling Chopper. "You're like her teddy bear~!"

"Yep, that's me." Chopper smiled. He seemed to have grown used to his niece snuggling with him like a stuffed toy by this point. In fact he quite enjoyed it now.

"Ok. Now we're all set. Ready for your nigh-night story, Belle~?" Usopp said as he tickled her a little making her giggle.

"You know, you guys really are gonna be great uncles." Luffy smiled.

"Thanks, Luffy." Chopper grinned.

"Although, I think you two should keep an eye on her. Cause I know she's gonna be as adventurous as her old man." Usopp said.

"I'm not an old man! I'm twenty-six!" Luffy barked, only to receive a laugh form the others, including Belle. "Oh sure, laugh it up, guys." He said rolling his eyes.

"Come on chin up, Luffy, I'm just teasing." Usopp said.

"I know. Now how 'bout you tell my little princess her story?" Luffy smiled as he sat down beside Usopp with Nami beside him resting on his shoulder..

"Sure thing, Captain." Usopp said as he began to tell his story to Belle who continued to cuddle Chopper as they listened to the story, along with Luffy and Nami. It seemed that through just one day, both Usopp and Chopper's bond with Belle had inevitably grown stronger. And this would only be the first of many adventures the three of them would share together for years to come.

The End


	13. Little Music Maker

Monkey D. Belle wants to learn to make music and who better to ask for help than the one and only talking skeleton in the world, but it may take more that just the Soul King to help this little pirate learn to be a music maker.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard, Belle and Hanako belong to XfangheartX**

* * *

It was a warm mid-spring morning, and five-year old Monkey D. Belle was wandering out onto the deck after she'd just finished cleaning her room (Nami's orders, or no red velvet cupcake for after lunch). As she wandered along the deck, she turned to see Hanako, Zoro and Blizzard all taking a nap together. The former was curled up in between his dad and the wolf-dog and Belle smiled at the sleepy trio before continuing to look around for someone to play with her, but found no one. She huffed.

"Now what? Hanako's asleep and everyone else is busy. What am I supposed to do all day?" But it was then that she heard the soothing melody of a violin. A smile tugged at her mouth as she followed the music to the aquarium bar to find none other than Brook playing a cheerful song on the string instrument. As he finished the song he heard the sound of a pair of small hands clapping. He turned to see his niece smiling at him, which he returned.

"Hello, Belle. Enjoy my song I take it?" he said.

"It was wonderful, Uncle Brook." Belle smiled. "You're the greatest musician in all of the sea!"

"Yohohoho~! Why thank you, dear. I always love a good audience." The skeleton laughed as he patted his niece on the head.

"Uncle Brook? How is it you're able to play so many instruments? You must have been playing since you were a baby. I bet when you cried it sounded like you were singing."

"Yohoho~! Maybe," Brook laughed. "but really I have a few reasons why. For one, I was born with a great passion and desire for music; it's what drove me to learn to play so many forms of it. Of course I also had a lot of time on my hands while I was drifting in the Florian triangle, before I met your Father. I always had my music for company so I was able to improve my skills vastly."

"Wow~. Daddy was really lucky to meet you."

"Oh I was far luckier to meet him, Belle."

"Uncle Brook? Do you think I could make music?" Belle asked curiously.

"Oh I'm sure you could. I can just see it in you."

"You really mean that?!"

"Of course I do. I know you'll be able to play something. You're a little music maker, in the making." Brook smiled.

"Then…could you teach me to play? Then I'd have something to do when no one's able to play with me." Belle asked hopefully.

"I'd be more than happy to teach you, Belle." Brook smiled.

"Really?! THANK YOU!-THANK YOU!-THANK YOU~!" Belle cheered as she tackled Brook with a hug.

"Whoa steady on, Belle, let's not get too excited!" Brook exclaimed. "Now, first we need to find an instrument that you feel drawn to. So what sort of instrument do you feel interested in?"

"Um…I'm not sure, really. Any kind~!"

"Hmm. Well let's start with one of my favourites: the violin." Brook then knelt down behind Belle before placing his violin in her hand and the bow in her other.

"So what do I do, Uncle Brook?" she asked.

"Well first, you hold the head of the violin under your chin." Belle did just that. "Good. Now place your fingers here, across the strings and place the bow here along the middle." Belle followed the instructions before turning to brook again. "Okay. Now all you do is move the bow back and forth. Like this." Brook said as he did the motion. Belle nodded but as she was about to play the first note, Luffy entered the aquarium bar.

"Hey you two, what's going on?" he asked.

"Daddy-Daddy! Uncle Brook's teaching me to play an instrument!" Belle grinned.

"You want to play an instrument, Princess? That's wonderful!" Luffy beamed as he hugged his daughter lovingly. "And who better to teach you than your Uncle Brook?" he then smiled at his musician.

"We were just about to get started." Brook said. Belle nodded before she placed the bow on the strings and pulled it across. **SKREEEEEEEEE~!** Luffy and Brook both jumped and gritted their teeth to the point where they were sure they'd crack.

"I…Is it supposed to make that noise?" Belle asked, looking a little ashamed.

"Oh-Oh-Oh it's just fine, sweetie!" Luffy grinned, trying to hide the pained look from his ears aching.

"It didn't sound fine."

"Don't worry you just need try again." Luffy said. "It wasn't even that bad."

"Hey did Chopper find another stray kitten or something? Cause I could've sworn I heard the sound of someone stepping on a cat's tail." The group heard Zoro. Luffy and Brook both rubbed their eyes/sockets in frustration.

"My music sounds like that?" Belle asked sadly.

"No! No not at all! Zoro doesn't know what he's saying! He's just not used to your style that's all." Luffy said reassuringly.

"Don't give up now, Belle. You know what they say: If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again. Don't give up too easily; persistence pays off in the end." Brook added. At that moment Nami entered the bar, holding a glass of tangerine juice in her hand.

"Hey, guys. What's happening?"

"Our little princess wants to learn how to play." Luffy said to his wife.

"Belle that's a great idea!" Nami beamed. "And Brook, that's so kind of you to teach her."

"It's a pleasure, Nami." Brook said.

"Well go on, Belle. Let's hear it." Nami smiled. **SKREEEEEEEEE~! CRINK!** The glass Nami was holding shattered upon hearing the high pitched note.

"Oh no I messed up again! I'm sorry, Mummy." Belle apologised.

"It's okay, sweetie. These things can be replaced." Nami said.

"I don't understand what I'm doing wrong."

"Here let me show you, Belle." Brook said before taking the violin back. "You have to be gentler. Like this." He then proceeded to play a slow melody on the instrument, before suddenly the shattered glass somehow reformed itself as though the sweet music had revived it.

"Well that was weird." Luffy said.

"I never knew I could do that." Brook added astonished.

"I don't get it. Why can't I get it right?" Belle moped.

"Well the violin is a pretty difficult instrument to master, and this is your first time, so you can't expect to get it bang on instantly." Brook said. "I know, let's try the guitar. It's impossible to make a bad sound on that." He then briefly left the aquarium bar, before returning with his guitar. "Ok, all you have to do is strum with one hand and press the strings with your other hand to make the notes shorter." The skeleton then strummed out a fast tune on the instrument, to demonstrate, before handing it to Belle, who had to sit down on the lounge in order to hold the large instrument. She took a breath before she plucked the strings.

"OW! I hurt my finger~!" she yelped.

"Oh, Belle I forgot to give you a guitar pick. I'm so sorry. Guitar strings can be rough on bare fingers." Brook apologised as he took out a small plastic triangle with rounded corners. "Try it with this." Belle took the pick before she tried strumming again. A grin split across her face.

"Hey I think its wor-" **TWANG!** At that moment one of the strings snapped silencing the guitar instantly. "OH NO I'VE BROKEN IT! Uncle Brook I'm so sorry!" She cried.

"Belle-Belle it's okay." Brook said gently. "It's just a string. They wear out over time. I've been meaning to replace them anyway. It's not your fault."

"Now what do I do? I can't play anything." Belle said miserably.

"Oh sweetie, don't be like that. It's only two instruments. There's plenty more you can try." Luffy said reassuringly.

"Actually, the island we're currently at has a really big music shop." Nami brought up. "Brook, Luffy, why don't you take her there and see if you can find an instrument just right for her?"

"That's a great idea, Nami. You're a genius!" Luffy said, kissing her lovingly.

"However. You can't let anyone know who she is. Remember, the world doesn't know about Belle. We already draw enough attention nowadays, so we don't need this happening, or else the government'll come and…_kill her._" She whispered the last part so as not to frighten Belle.

"Don't worry. I won't say a word. I'm not gonna let my little princess go through what Robin did." Luffy said seriously before turning to Belle. "Understand Belle? While we're out, I need you to just call me Uncle Luffy. We can't let anyone know you're my daughter or else the marines will try and capture you. And we don't want that do we?"

"MM-MMM!" Belle shook her head. "I hate marines and I hate the government. Except for Coby. He's the only nice one." she then smiled.

"Yeah that's right. Ok then, so let's go find you the perfect instrument." Luffy grinned before lifting Belle onto his shoulders. "We'll be back later, Nami. Come on, Brook." The captain and musician then made their way out onto the deck, just in time to see Zoro, Hanako and Blizzard waking up from.

"Mmmmmm good nap!" Hanako smiled as he stretched his arms and yawned. "Hey where you guys goin'?" he asked.

"We're going to the music shop in town. I want to learn to play an instrument like Uncle Brook. So him and Daddy are gonna help me find one just right for me." Belle explained.

"Ooh can I come?!" Hanako asked excitedly.

"Sure the more the merrier I always say." Luffy grinned.

"Thanks, Uncle Luffy!"

XXX

The group made their way through the small town until they reached a large building with many instruments and music books in its windows.

"WE'RE HERE~!" Belle and Hanako both cheered.

"Remember, Belle, call me Uncle Luffy while we're here." Luffy reminded her.

"Yes Da-I mean Uncle Luffy." Belle corrected herself.

"Good job. Well let's go then." Luffy said before lifting Belle down from his shoulders. As they entered the shop they found the walls and cabinets aligned with many different instruments ranging from percussion, to string, to woodwind and many others.

"Wow. Talk about being spoiled for choice." Hanako muttered. At that moment the owner of the shop, an ageing man with grey hair and green eyes with a small pipe, noticed the group.

"Can I help you Si…Pirate King Luffy and Soul King Brook! Welcome-Welcome! This is an honour!" he said joyfully.

"Oh no need to flatter us!" Luffy grinned. By this point many of the customers in the shop had noticed the two famous pirates and formed a large crowd in front of them.

"SOUL KING YOU'RE THE GREATEST~!" one man said.

"I HAVE ALL YOUR ALBUMS, BROOK~! CAN I PLEASE GET AN AUTOGRAPH~?!" a young girl asked joyfully.

"AND YOUR LAST CONCERT WAS INCREDIBLE~! YOU SURE SHOWED THOSE MARINES~!" another person said.

"AND PIRATE KING LUFFY! THANKS TO YOU OUR ISLAND IS SAFE FOREVER!" a small boy cheered.

"YOU'RE MY HERO, LUFFY~! I LOVE YOU~!" another girl said amorously.

"For the last time, I'm not a hero! And sorry, I have a wife!" Luffy said above the crowd.

"Now come on, that's quite enough of that!" The owner said firmly. "These men need their space so please, let's all just back off a little." The crowd nodded before disentangling themselves but never taking their eyes of Luffy and Brook. "So how may I help you, Gentlemen?" he then asked kindly.

"Well actually it's these little ones you could help. They're our cabin children and they want to learn how to play. So we're here to help them find the right instrument for them." Brook explained.

"I WANNA TRY EVERYTHING~!" Belle cheered.

"ME TOO~!" Hanako added.

"My, my, they're quite young for cabin children." the old man said surprised.

"Well, that's because we rescued them, when their home was destroyed. We took them in since they had nowhere to go, and they're family to us." Luffy said before winking at Belle and Hanako who got his message and grinned. The crowd awed at the kind story they'd just heard, before a small group of children gathered around Belle and Hanako.

"You're really part of Luffy's crew?!" one of them asked.

"What's it like living with the Straw-hats?!" asked another.

"It's the greatest life we could ever have!" Hanako said. "I get to train with Uncle Zoro so I can become the next greatest swordsman."

"Yeah and the parties are a blast!" Belle piped up. "Uncle Sanji's cooking is out of this world too, and Uncle Chopper always keeps us healthy."

"And of course Uncle Brook gives us the best music in the world! That's why we wanna learn to play instrument so we can be like him!" Hanako said.

"Well right this way then, young ones." The old man said as he led them to the first shelf of instruments. "So what type are you interested in?"

"Anything really, as long as it sounds nice." Belle smiled.

"Hmm. Well how about this? I think it'll be quite suitable for one your age." The old man said as he took a small silver harmonica down form the shelf. "Just hold it at the ends like this, and then blow into it." Belle took the small instrument before putting it to her lips and blowing into it and what sounded like a mix between and whistle and a hum came out. She giggled.

"Hey that sound cool!" she laughed before she blew in it again only to get the same sound. "Huh?" she blew in it again at one end but still go the same sound. "I keep getting the same noise."

"Here let me try, Belle." Hanako asked. Belle handed the harmonica over to him. He took the small instrument before blowing into it at different points…and managed to make a small tune. "H-Hey I did it!"

"HUH?!" Belle said in shock. "But I don't understand." She tried playing the harmonica again but only got about three notes. "I can't do it."

"Hey now. It's just one instrument. There's plenty more to choose from." The old man said before taking down a saxophone. "What about this one?"

"I'll give it a try." Belle said as she took instrument and put it to her lips. She tried blowing into it but no sound seemed to come out. "Huh?"

"Try taking a deeper breath." Brook suggested. Belle did so as she took a deep breath and tried blowing into the instrument again, her cheeks going red in the process. **COUGH!-COUGH!** "I don't get it! It must be clogged." Belle said before taking one more deep breath and blowing extra hard. But it was then that almost everyone in the store leapt a foot in the air upon hearing a thunderous blast form the saxophone which caused Belle to drop it in surprise and she blushed in embarrassment when she noticed everyone looking at her.

"Sorry." She squeaked before sniffling.

"Can I try?" Hanako asked. Belle reluctantly handed the saxophone over before Hanako blew into it resulting in short series of notes. "Hey I did it again!"

"HOW?! How come you can play and I can't. The instruments must hate me!" Belle said miserably.

"Hey, sweetie come on, it's okay. You can't throw in the towel yet." Luffy said. He looked around the shop before he noticed a drum kit. "Aha! Let's try this drum kit." He led her over to it before placing her on the stool. "Just put your foot here on the pedal." he said as he placed Belle's foot on the pedal that controlled the base drum. "And put your other foot on this pedal that controls the cymbal. And then use the sticks for the other drums and cymbal, and off you go." Belle looked at the small drumsticks in her hands and then back to Luffy. "Go on." Belle turned back to face the drum kit before she began to beat the sticks against the drums and cymbals.

"YEAH ROCK IT, BELLE!" Hanako cheered.

"You're doing great!" Luffy said. Of course, she wasn't and despite the fact everyone in the store was trying their hardest to look impressed, one man wasn't as strong as the rest of the crowd.

"Oh for crying out loud, WILL SOMEONE SHUT HER UP ALREADY?!" he bellowed. The whole store went silent. "She's tried several instruments here and can't get a single one right! Even a kazoo would be too much for her. HER MUSIC SUCKS!" the crowd stared in utter shock, but the silence was soon broken by a small sob. All heads turned to see Belle sniffling, her eyes watering and no sooner had this happened she took off like a shot, running out of the store in tears.

"WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" she wailed as she ran off back towards the Sunny.

"BELLE WAIT COME BACK~!" Luffy called before his face twisted into a snarl. "Yooouu BASTARD!" **POW!** His fist connected with the man's face sending him against the wall. "How the hell could you say that to my little cabin girl?!"

"But she was disrupting everyone." The man argued.

"Who the hell gives a damn?!" one person said.

"Yeah, we knew she wasn't doing very well, but she's just a little girl. We'd never just up and INSULT her like that!" another person added.

"Who the hell would just crush a little girl's heart like that?!" a third said.

"THROW HIM OUT!" Hanako yelled.

"TAKE A HIKE, JERKWAD!" Luffy roared throwing the man out the door with his bare hands. "Brook, Hanako, I'm going after Belle!"

"Ok, Luffy!" Brook said as the pirate king ran after Belle.

"Um…I know now's probably not the time but, Uncle Brook; I've decided I'd like the harmonica." Hanako muttered, gaining the skeleton's attention. "What?"

XXX

Luffy dashed on and into the Sunny to find Nami standing outside Belle and Hanako's room.

"Belle? Belle, sweetheart please come out." She called as she gently knocked on the door.

"So that's where she's hiding." Luffy spoke up.

"Luffy!" Nami said startled. "What's going on? I was just trimming my orchard when Belle came running onto the ship, sobbing. She ran straight to her room and locked the door. She won't come out. What happened at the store?"

"Things didn't go well. She tried several instruments but only ended making a racket. And then some guy just up and insulted her."

"WHAT?! Why that no good-"

"It doesn't matter, Nami. What does matter is that Belle's really upset and we need to cheer up ASAP. Let me try and talk to her."

"Ok, Luffy. I'm gonna go talk to Sanji and see if he make her a nice treat to cheer her up." Nami said before taking her leave.

"Belle. It's me, Daddy." Luffy called.

"Go away! I just wanna be alone!" Belle's voice sounded from the other side.

"Now you know I can't do that, Princess. I know your upset but we want to cheer you up."

"But he was right! I DO suck! I tired lots of instruments and couldn't play a single one! And what's worse Hanako was able to play all of them like they were nothing!"

"Are you saying you're jealous of him?"

"YES, I AM!" Belle cried. "Uncle Brook was wrong! It's Hanako who's the real little music maker. I'll never be able to make music! EVER!" she continued to cry.

"Belle, please. I hate it when you're upset like this. Just please let us cheer you up." Luffy begged.

"There's nothing you can do, Daddy. Just leave me alone! I'll come out when I wanna!" Luffy sighed sadly before taking his leave in defeat. Belle waited until he was gone before she continued sniffling and sobbing.

"It's not fair. Hanako didn't want to play as much as I did. All I wanted to make music. But I guess that's just too much to ask. Even for someone like me." She sniffed once more before she sighed, but as she did so a strange sound came out of her mouth, but it wasn't a sob or a hiccup. It sounded almost…musical.

"What was that?" Belle wondered before she blew out again. The same flute like sound escaped her mouth. "What is this?" she asked herself entranced. She blew again, this time lower. The sound came out a lower pitch. "Hee-Hee!" she giggled before blowing again. This time the pitch was higher. A smile tugged at her mouth before she blew several different pitches so that they sounded like the first 'Yohohoho' of Bink's Sake. She gasped in amazement before she leapt off her bed, flung open the door and dashed out.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the aquarium bar, Brook and Hanako had arrived back at the ship, the latter holding his new harmonica, but he didn't feel like playing it. Not with knowing his little sister was still upset.

"She was jealous of me?" he asked, after Luffy explained everything. "Oh my gosh. I feel horrible. I-I didn't know. I…I didn't mean to look like I was showing off." He said shamefully.

"You weren't showing off, sweetheart." Robin said as she hugged her son, gently kissing his forehead in the process. "Just because she was jealous doesn't mean you should blame yourself. But even so, I still feel sorry for Belle."

"That goes double for me." Usopp said.

"Tell me about it. She must feel terrible after everything that's happened to her." Chopper said sadly.

"_You can say that again._" Blizzard agreed.

"Poor little ankle biter! I can't believe someone just crushed her like that! SUPER low, man!" Franky sobbed.

"I just hope she comes out of her room eventually. She can't stay in there forever." Zoro said.

"We know. We'll cheer her up somehow." Sanji said as reassuringly as he could, but just then the Straw-hats hear the sound of little feet running towards them, before the door burst open to reveal Belle with a big smile plastered on her face.

"BELLE!" they all said.

"UNCLE BROOK~!" Belle cheered as she ran up and hugged the skeleton. "I DID IT!"

"Did what, Belle?" Brook asked in surprise.

"I found the perfect interment to play." Belle said.

"What instrument?" Luffy asked.

"Me~!" Belle cheered.

"Yourself? What do you mean, Sweetie Belle?" Nami asked.

"Listen." Belle said before she began to blow through her mouth again and what sounded like the first few lines of Bink's Sake came out.

"Oh my stars. Belle you can whistle~!" Brook cheered as he lifted her way up in the air.

"Whistle? Is that what this is?" Belle asked.

"Yes. You've learned to play the one instrument I never could!" Brook beamed as he spun her sound joyfully.

"Oh yeah cause you don't have lips." Belle said.

"No-no not like that. Even when I was alive I was never able to whistle. It was the one and only instrument I could never get. And now you've learned to play it. I'm so proud of you!" Brook cheered before putting her down.

"You are?!" Belle said in disbelief.

"Of course I am." Brook said. "I said I could see musical talent in you and I was right. It really was in you. In here." Brook said as he pointed to her chest. "You are a little music maker and I couldn't be prouder."

"Oh Uncle Brook!" Belle cried joyfully before she embraced him. "I love you!"

"I love you too." Brook smiled.

"Belle?" the pair turned to see Hanako approach them. "I'm really sorry I made you jealous. I didn't mean it. Please forgive-" but he was caught off guard by Belle hugging him.

"No I'm sorry, big brother." I'm sorry I got jealous. I knew you weren't showing off. I was just too stubborn. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course I do little sis." Hanako smiled as he returned her hug. "And, if it makes you any happier, I can't whistle either."

"You can't?"

"No. I tired plenty of times before but could never get it right."

"Guess I'll never be able to get jealous of you over that then." Belle grinned before they both laughed.

"Hey you two." They both looked to see Luffy and the rest of the crew smiling at them. "How 'bout a little show from our little music makers?" he grinned. Both little pirates looked at each other before grinning.

"YEAH~!" they both cheered before Hanako with his harmonica and Belle with her whistle began to play Bink's Sake while the rest of the crew clapped or sang along with them. It seemed that through the course of just one day, both Belle and Hanako had discovered a new talent about themselves that they would not only carry through the rest of their lives but also cherish forever.

The End


	14. Doodle-Luffy

Oda accidentally drops his pencil into the One Piece world and it falls into he hands of Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard. What could possibly go wrong?

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

**The story was based off the Spongebob episode 'Frankendoodle' which belongs to Nickelodeon**

* * *

Well, well, what is this? We find ourselves in a manga studio where a man is currently working on the latest chapter of his story. Ah, it is none other than Eiichiro Oda, the father of One Piece who has made the honour of appearing in one of my fics. Let us watch and see the fruits of his struggle. At that moment a look crosses Oda's face and his eyes widen slightly, followed by a small grin. It seems as if inspiration has struck. Oda smiles proudly at his pencil before he goes back to drawing at a quick pace, when suddenly, he loses his grip on his pencil and it falls onto an open volume of One Piece, before it mysteriously sinks into the book and disappears. Oda looks surprised at first before he suddenly grows panicked.

"Whe-Where's my pencil?" he says worried as he picks up the volume and tries to stick his hand through it, but fails. He shakes the book upside down, flicks through the pages and even repeatedly opens and shuts the book. The artist has learned the first lesson of being in my fics: Always bring a spare pencil.

"NNNOOOOOOOOOOO~!"

XXX

We see the pencil falling through the air of the One Piece world, and not far below we see Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard sitting together on the deck of the Thousand Sunny.

"Ok. Ready guys?" Usopp said.

"Ready." Luffy, Chopper and Blizzard reply.

"Rock, paper, scissors: shoot!" the four friends stick their hands/hoof/paw out. Luffy has rock, Chopper has scissors, Blizzard has paper and Usopp also has paper.

"Scissors beats paper, Blizzard." Chopper laughs as he bumps his hoof against Blizzard's paw.

"Well rock beats scissors." Luffy said quickly before he bumped his fist against Chopper's hoof.

"No fair." Chopper whined.

"Yeah well paper beats rock." Usopp grinned before wrapping his hand on Luffy's fist. "I win!"

"Come on rematch!" Luffy shouted.

"Ok then. Rock, paper, scissors: shoot!" the four hold out their hands/hoof/paw. Blizzard has rock this time. Chopper has paper and Usopp has scissors.

"Rock beats scissors." Luffy says as he bumps Usopp's hand.

"Luffy? How come you always go rock?" Usopp questioned. But at that moment, **BAM!** The pencil lands dead centre in the middle group, embedded in the deck. What's more, the pencil seems to be about the size of Luffy in the One Piece world. On instinct, the quartet screams in shock and run for cover behind the mast, before peeking out, Chopper of course in his reverse peek.

"What is that thing, guys?" he asked, frightened.

"It, looks like a giant pencil." Usopp said.

"_Touch it, Luffy._" Blizzard muttered. Luffy stretched his arm out before his finger touched the side of the drawing tool.

"It _is_ a giant pencil, guys." Luffy said, reassured, before the group made their way towards it.

"Let's draw some big pictures on deck with it." Usopp said as he pulled the pencil out of the deck.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Usopp? If Franky sees the mess we've made, he'll set Nami on our asses." Chopper trembled.

"It's pencil, Chopper. It'll wash out easily." Usopp then placed the nib of the pencil on deck and began to doodle.

"Whatcha drawin'?" Luffy said with his head over Usopp's shoulder.

"Back off will ya, Lu?! I can't concentrate with you breathing down my neck." Usopp snapped.

"Tch, artists." Luffy muttered. The misfit trio watched Usopp draw before he stepped back.

"It's a flamingo." Usopp said proudly at the line drawing on deck.

"Pretty good, Usopp. But it's lacking basic construction, and your perspective leaves a lot to be desired." Chopper said.

"Peh, everybody's a critic." Usopp snorted. But at that moment the drawing began to peel off the deck and began to fly off.

"USOPP YOUR DRAWING'S COMING ALIVE~!" Luffy squawked.

"Now that's more like it." Usopp grinned.

"No! I mean it's flying away. Look!" the group looked up to see the line drawing flying off.

"Guys do you know what this means?" Usopp said in excitement.

**Ruff!-Ruff!** Blizzard barked.

"He said 'Your art can never be viewed in a gallery.'" Chopper translated.

"No. It means we found a magic pencil!" Usopp said, before he noticed something. "Wait a second." He gripped the sharpened end of the pencil and twisted, and as he did so, the black lead nib turned into a spectral of colours.

"Wow, pretty~!" Chopper and Luffy gazed at the rainbow nib.

"I wonder? Luffy grab the flamingo!" Usopp said. **WROING!** Luffy stretched his arm up and managed to grab the 2d bird before it was out of reach. It squawked angrily as he pulled it down before Usopp aimed the pencil at it and began to scribble all over it. As he did, the line drawing began to fill in with its natural pink colour before **POP!** The 2d flamingo expanded into a real life bird and took off again.

"COOL~!" Luffy and Chopper awed at the sight.

"How did you do that, Usopp?!"

"Don't you see? If we colour in a line drawing with the coloured nib, the drawing becomes real. We can make anything!"

"ANYTHING~?!" Luffy, Chopper and Blizzard gasped.

"Anything." Usopp confirmed

"Then I want a new afro. A big poofy one!" Luffy grinned.

"HAHAHA! Comin' right up." Usopp grinned before he drew a large black afro on Luffy's head.

"MY LIFE IS PERFECT~!" Luffy cheered, but then the afro popped off his head and began to bob away like a jellyfish. "Easy come, easy go." He shrugged. The afro floated across the ship before it reached the library where Nami was currently working on her latest map, but she couldn't seem to get comfortable in her work chair.

"Darn. This old cushion's completely worn out. I really need to buy a new one or I'll never be able to relax while I do my maps." But at that moment the afro floated above her and landed on her head. She yelped in surprise before she pulled it off her head. "What in the world?" she wondered before she plumped the afro with her hands. "Wow it's springy, and really soft. Almost like…a cushion!" she said joyfully. "It's perfect."

XXX

"My turn." Luffy said as he took the pencil form Usopp and began scribbling.

"What is that? A goblin?" Usopp asked as he looked at what looked a small angry creature with sharp teeth and long hair.

"No, it's Nami, and she's angry." Luffy corrected. Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard all dropped their jaws for a moment before they all burst out laughing.

"Oh sure, laugh it up, guys." Luffy huffed, but then they noticed the small 'Nami' had peeled itself off deck and began to scuttle around shaking its fists.

"Moneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoney~!" it chattered in a high pitched voice.

"_It's kinda creepy when it moves._" Blizzard grimaced.

"Yeah, you got a point there." Luffy agreed.

"We can't let her run wild on the ship!" Chopper piped up. Luffy then held the eraser of the pencil above the drawing and rubbed it out as it squawked.

"Poor Nami." He sighed when the drawing was gone.

"Wait! I just got an idea." Usopp spoke up. He grabbed the pencil from Luffy before he ran towards the door of the library.

"What are you doing?" Luffy asked.

"Shh." Usopp silenced them before he drew a beri bill on the ground in front of the door way, before he coloured it in to make it real and attached a string to it. "This is gonna be so good." He snickered. Meanwhile, inside, Nami had just finished her map and felt truly relaxed with her new 'cushion'.

"I think I'll take a nice nap on the couch now with my new cushion." She said to herself.

"Oh Nami~?" she heard Usopp's voice from outside.

"Usopp? What is it?" she asked as she opened the door, holding her 'cushion' in hand, but saw no one. "Ok, very funny, Usopp. What do you-" but at that moment she noticed the beri bill lying on the ground. "A hundred thousand berries?! Who'd leave a little baby like you out here all alone~?" she cooed. Around the corner, the trouble-making quartet were trying to hold in their laughter as they watched the navigator, Usopp holding the string.

"Come to Nami." She said as she reached for the money, but as she did Usopp tugged it away causing her to tumble forward and fall on her front. "Ow." The quartet burst out laughing. "Guys! You tricksy-hey my cushion!" she said as the afro bobbed away again and floated off out of reach. A glare washed over Nami's face before she turned to the group who stopped laughing when they saw her face.

"You." She snarled.

"N-Now Nami. It was just a joke." Usopp grinned awkwardly.

"We didn't break anything." Chopper pleaded.

"No. But you just cost me my new cushion." Nami growled as she advanced towards them, the group stepping backwards with each step she took forwards.

"Cushion? That was an af-" **BONK!** Usopp bopped Luffy on the head to shut him up. "I mean we're sorry. You can have the money, it's real, honest." He then said as he picked up the bill and offered it to his secret fiancé. She raised an eyebrow as she took the money and viewed it over to make sure it wasn't fake.

"It is real! So let me get this straight; you were willing to give up a hundred thousand berries to me for a cheap laugh?" the group nodded. "You guys never cease to amaze me. Oh well, your loss. See you later, guys." She said before heading back into the library and shutting the door. The group sighed.

"That was close." Usopp said.

"Too close." Chopper added.

"_Good thing we had that money with us to calm her down._" Blizzard said. But then a grin spread across Luffy's face.

"Wait. I've got another idea." He said as he took the magic pencil from Usopp. "This'll be the ultimate prank. I'll draw me. And when Nami answers the door, she'll think it's me, but it won't be me."

"Will you stop saying 'me' so much?" Usopp mumbled. Luffy then scribbled out a clumsy but somewhat close drawing of himself with a rather wonky face (one eye was a bit bigger than the other and the mouth was at an angle) a messy version of his shirt and shorts and his straw hat had a much wider brim, almost like a sombrero but with a smaller bowl. The drawing peeled itself off deck and stared blankly at Luffy.

"Haha. Pretty cool. You just need your scars now." Luffy said as he drew an X on Doodle-Luffy's stomach and another scar under his eye. "And now to colour you in." Luffy switched to the coloured nib before he shaded in the drawing and **POP!** Doodle-Luffy expanded into a 3d cartoony version of Luffy (A.N. No pun intended since their both technically cartoons, but you get the idea XD).  
"Ok, Doodle-Luffy. Time for action." Luffy said.

"Wa! Bweh! Ba! Wa! Bweh!" Doodle-Luffy babbled in some sort of gibberish before he waddled over to the door. Luffy snickered before he pulled Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard behind the corner as they watched Doodle-Luffy knock on the door.

"Hello?" Nami said as she answered before she gasped in surprise when she saw the doodle. "Oh Luffy you startled me." Doodle-Luffy didn't reply. "Luffy?" but then Nami noticed the drawing's wonky face. "Oh my gosh! Luffy what happened to you?! Did I slam the door in your face earlier by mistake?!" she panicked as she held Doodle-Luffy's face in her hands, who still didn't speak.

"Luffy? What's going on? Why aren't you answering me?" Nami asked. Behind the corner the trouble-making quartet were clamping their hands over their mouths so they wouldn't laugh at the fact that Nami was falling for it. "Look, Luffy if this is about before, I'm not mad at you. Now that I think about it was a good prank. I admit I'm a sucker when it comes to money. You got me good, okay?" the doodle still said nothing. "Come on, you know neither of us like the silent treatment, it's not nice." Still nothing. "Dammit, it's like I'm talking to a monkey." She then said to herself "But then that is who you are, isn't it?" By this point, Luffy's cheeks were inflating from the laugh building up in his throat. He couldn't' take much more. "And to think this is the man I'm gonna marry soon." Nami muttered. "Come on, Luffy just say something will you? Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get attention? Is that it? Or are you trying to get me to guess what you want?" Doodle-Luffy still refused to answer. "UGH! Fine, we'll play it your way, wise guy. If this won't make you talk, I don't know what will." She then grabbed Doodle-Luffy's face before **SMOOCH!** She pulled him in and gave him a big kiss. The quartet were kicking their legs in the air from struggling to hold their laughter by now and Luffy especially was inches form banging his fist on the deck. This was just gold by now. As Nami pulled away and looked at Doodle-Luffy, he seemed just as silent as before, but then suddenly his eyes burst into a pair of hearts and he pulled Nami into a tight hug.

"WHOA! Guess it really does work every time." Nami chuckled as she tried to gently push Doodle-Luffy off. "Lu-Luffy? You can put me down now."

"ME LIKE NAMI~!" Doodle-Luffy squawked as he puckered his lips and tried to kiss her again.

"Luffy?! What's gotten into you?! You're never this grabby!" Nami yelped. By this point Luffy was starting to get jealous. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"ME LIKE NAMI~!" Doodle-Luffy barked again and began kissing Nami's cheek repeatedly.

"LUFFY STOP!" Nami cried as she struggled. "THAT'S ENOUGH, MISTER!" **WHAP!** With that she slapped the doodle across the face, causing his head to spin like a top. "You know I have my limits, Luffy. I thought you knew better." But as she looked at Doodle-Luffy, whose head was facing the wrong way, he then twisted his head back around and gave Nami a grin bigger than the real Luffy's.

"Luffy?...You're scaring me." Nami whimpered. But As Doodle-Luffy was about to kiss her again, **POW!** Luffy came flying in and punched the doodle off his girlfriend.

"BACK OFF, LEAD LIPS! YOU WENT TOO FAR!"

"TWO LUFFY'S?!" Nami gasped. Doodle-Luffy picked himself up before he noticed Chopper holding the magic pencil.

"OI YOYME! E OIYA YAGOI YA EGABALABAGA~!" he garbled before he charged at the little reindeer who screamed and dropped the pencil before the doodle proceeded to pick it up and jumped off the ship before making a dash into the jungle of the latest island they were docked at.

"He's got the pencil!" Usopp panicked.

"Now what do we do?!" Chopper yelped with his hooves against his hat.

"COME ONE, GUYS! AFTER HIM~!" Luffy yelled but as he was about to take off after Chopper, Usopp and Blizzard, Nami grabbed his hand and held him back.

"Luffy? What the HELL is going ON HERE?!" she yelled.

"Look, Nami I can explain! This magic pencil fell out of the sky and anything you draw with it becomes real. The afro, or cushion as you called it. The money and now my doodle duplicate. We made them all with the pencil. It was just for a laugh but that Doodle-Luffy's out of control. I have to catch up with the guys so we can get the pencil back."

"In that case, get your rear in gear and erase that pervy doodle." Nami said.

"Yes Ma'am!" Luffy said before he dashed after his friends.

"A pencil that makes anything, huh?" Nami said to herself as she rubbed a finger against her chin before smile spread across her face. "I think this may be the answer to all our problems. But first I have to go wash my mouth out." She grimaced after remembering she just kissed a drawing.

XXX

"I'm here, guys!" Luffy said as he found the trio looking around the jungle. "Where could he be hiding?"

"Maybe he's in that poorly drawn Thousand Sunny." Chopper pointed to a scribbly 2d version of their ship.

"How did we miss that?" Usopp questioned.

"_Well spotted, little bro. Let's go._" Blizzard barked.

"But what if it's full of booby-traps?" Chopper shivered. "That thing's not Luffy remember? Luffy would never force himself on Nami like he did.

"Even if Doodle-Luffy is hornier than our Captain he's still Luffy at heart, and Luffy would never hurt his friends." Usopp said. The quartet then began to make their way over to the doodle ship before knocking on the channel door. **KAPOW!** On opening, a hug boxing glove on a spring shot out of the channel and launched the trouble-making quartet away from the ship. As they were flying, Doodle-Luffy stretched his arm out of the ship and drew a hole in the ground, which the four friends proceeded to land in.

"AAAAAAAAHHH" **THUD!** The group sat up rubbing their heads.

"Told ya so." Chopper said.

"NEYO HOY MENYOYEH~!" the group looked up in surprise to see Doodle-Luffy staring down at them from the top of the hole, holding the pencil. "Neyoy Yoy Minyoy Nady Yo Ma-moy~!"

"Blizzard, gimme a boost!" Luffy said standing up, glaring at the doodle.

"Can't we just stay down here, Luffy?" Usopp asked hopelessly.

"Fat chance. I created this jerk. So I've gotta stop him." **THUNK!** At that moment a large doodle wrench fell into the pit and landed on Usopp's head, dazing him.

"NEYO FLYOING~!" Doodle-Luffy blabbed.

"See what I mean, Usopp?" Luffy said.

"Wwwhere's the leak, Ma'am~?" the sniper slurred drunkenly. The group then pulled themselves up to the edge of the pit, just in time to see Doodle Luffy draw up a cannon ball and throw it at the group.

"LOOK OUT!" Luffy yelled as most of the group got away, but unfortunately, Blizzard was the unlucky one, as the cannon ball conked him in the head, sending him dizzily falling back to the bottom of the hole. **THUD!**

"You ok, big brother?!" Chopper called concerned.

"_Never better, buddy._" The wolf-dog growled sarcastically.

"NYAAA~! NYAA-YAI-YA~! YOHOY MINYOY~! NEO-WHY-YAI-YA~!" Doodle-Luffy blathered before he ran off again with the pencil in hand.

"AFTER HIM, GANG!" Usopp yelled before the four friends continued after the doodle, Blizzard staggering a little from the daze he got from the cannonball.

XXX

"There he is guys." Luffy pointed as the group finally caught up to see Doodle-Luffy running around a nearby clearing waving the pencil around, but not really doing anything with it and still spouting gibberish. "Look he's putting down the pencil. Now's our chance." The quartet then tiptoed behind a nearby rock just behind Doodle-Luffy, before Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard all tackled him. They tumbled across the ground before coming to a stop.

"We've got him, Luffy! Grab the pencil!" Usopp shouted.

"GUMMY GUMMY YOY-MA-MOY~!" doodle-Luffy shouted before he inflated his body. "BALLOON!" his inflated form forced Usopp, Blizzard and Chopper to let go of him.

"Why you little-" **BONK!** Usopp was cut off by a giant fist slamming him into the ground leaving only his head sticking out, stars swirling around the sniper's face. "I'll have a pound of plums please, Madame~!" he slurred with his eyes crossed.

"USOPP!" Doodle-Luffy turned to see Chopper and Blizzard charging at him. He then stretched out his arm and quickly lassoed the animal brothers before **TWANG!** He snapped his arm clean off, causing the pair to gasp before it spontaneously grew back. He was a cartoon after all.

"NYAAAA!" he drivelled as he prepared to run off again only to come face to face with the eraser of the magic pencil, which was being held by none other than Luffy.

"Hold it right there, Doodle. I brought you into this world, and now I'm gonna take you out. Any last words?" Luffy said sinisterly.

"EEGA YA HALA BAGA BALA~!"

"I-I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" Luffy said confused.

"BEE HA, BALA HALA BA BA?" Doodle-Luffy said slowly as if trying to get Luffy to understand. When the captain didn't reply the doodle started spouting an entourage of angry gibberish, until Luffy decided he'd heard enough and erased his doodle duplicates face, leaving him only able to make muffled grunts. He stumbled around blindly before crashing into a nearby rock.

"Hold still, Doodle. This is for your own good!" Luffy shouted before h began to blindly rub out the drawing in big swipes, shouting with each sweep. "TAKE THAT! AND THIS! AND SOME OF THIS! AND THIS! AND THAT! THIS-THAT-THIS-THAT-THISTHATTHISTHATTHISTHAT-**GYAAAAAAAAUUUGHHH~! I AM LUFFY! DESTROYER OF EVIIIIILLLL~!**"

"Jeez Louise, Luffy. It's only a drawing." Chopper muttered. The little reindeer and Blizzard had managed to pull themselves free of their bonds, and the latter was currently pulling Usopp out of the ground.

"Well glad that's all over. Now let's get back to the ship." Luffy said proudly.

"Done and done." Usopp agreed as Blizzard finished yanking him out before the group made their way back to the ship. But they didn't notice that after they left, an arm pulled itself out from behind the rock and began to slowly drag its way after them.

XXX

By the time the trouble-making quartet had returned, they found the rest of the crew waiting.

"Hey everybody." Luffy waved as he and the others got on board.

"Nami filled us in on what's been going on." Zoro said.

"WHERE'S THAT PERVERTED DOODLE WHO TRIED TO MOLEST NAMI?!" Sanji roared.

"He's nothing but a pile of eraser shavings now." Luffy grinned. "He won't be bothering you again, sweet tangerine."

"Good to hear it, goofball." Nami smiled before she gave him a kiss.

"So you're saying you can make anything at all with that pencil?" Robin asked.

"Watch." Usopp said as he drew a leg of meat on the deck before colouring in after it peeled off the deck. **POP!** It expanded into a juicy leg of real meat which Luffy proceeded to devourer. "See?"

"Amazing!" Brook said.

"SUPER CRAZY!" Franky gaped.

"Now since I'm the top artist in the crew, I'll be the open who does the drawing, so form a cue before you beg me to draw you something." The crew quickly lined up in front of Usopp. Zoro came first.

"Guess you could draw me some booze. Can't think of anything else I'd want." He said bluntly.

"Really? You don't want a big fierce sword or a huge bed?" Usopp asked.

"Nope. I've already got fine swords and a bed." Zoro shrugged. Usopp shrugged as well before he drew a large barrel on deck and coloured it in. **POP!** The drawing burst into a huge barrel of sake.

"Voila!"

"Thanks a lot, Usopp." Zoro grinned before he carried his drink off to enjoy every drop of it. Nami was next.

"I think you know what I'd like, Usopp~." She said sweetly with her hands together as she winked at him.

"Yeah-yeah. One pile of treasure coming up." Usopp said.

"No-No. Just make it wads of Berries. That way we won't have to go through the trouble of cashing in the treasure."

"No problem." Usopp said before he scribbled out about a hundred thick wads of berries. Nami squealed in delight as she piled all the money together and began rolling in it joyfully.

"There's gotta be eight hundred million here! USOPP I LOVE YOU!" she cheered as she threw piles of wads into the air while laughing at the top of her lungs.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Usopp smiled, though he'd secretly slipped about two hundred million for himself into his back pocket.

"That'll certainly have us set for a good long while." Franky grinned. "Ok Usopp, buddy. Gimme all the wood, metal and cola I want." Usopp nodded before producing countless sheets of Adam wood, metal and dozens of cola barrels. "SUPER great of ya, Usopp!" Franky grinned before eh began to shift the supplies below deck.

"Me next~!" Chopper said as he ran up to Usopp. "Could you draw me a big tall cherry tree that always blossoms? And maybe some more herbs and remedies please. I'm starting to run low."

"Sure thing, little buddy." Usopp grinned before he drew Chopper what he wanted. The little reindeer gave him a hug before gathered up his medicine and carried it off to the sick bay before he returned and cured up under the cherry tree to take a nap, the pink blossoms sailing around him. The crew found it undeniably adorable.

"My turn." Brook said as he walked up to Usopp before he whispered something into his ear. Usopp at first looked shocked before he narrowed his eyes.

"Okay, come with me." He said before he and brook entered the men's quarters. A few minutes passed before Usopp emerged without Brook.

"What did you draw him, Usopp?" Chopper asked.

"Trust me on this…you don't wanna know." Usopp said.

"We'll take your word for it." Sanji muttered before he walked up but before he could speak.

"NO SANJI!" Nami snapped.

"I didn't say anything."

"No. But you were thinking of having Usopp draw me and Robin. Well it's not going to happen!"

"Now why would I do that?"

"Oh don't even start that again." Usopp sighed before he drew out several rectangles on deck before he sketched some images of random women on them and coloured them in, revealing them to be magazines.

"Here. You can add them to your collection." Sanji blushed in embarrassment for a moment before straightening his face again.

"Thanks, Usopp." He said before running off to the men's quarters.

"Pervert." Zoro muttered before going back to his sake.

"It's my turn now." Robin said. "Could you draw me some books please Usopp?"

"But what kind. I don't know if I can draw a book."

"Hmm. Let me try." Robin said as she took the pencil from him. She closed her eyes before she drew several books and coloured them. The crew looked at the books before they noticed the titles.

"'Adventures of the Straw-Hats'" Nami read.

"They're novelizations of our adventures, from beginning to today." Robin smiled.

"Wow! That's a great idea, Robin!" Luffy grinned.

"The best kind of book could only be expected from my woman." Zoro grinned. Robin returned his compliment with a sweet smile and a blush. Blizzard padded up to Usopp next and made a small whine.

"Of course I know what you want, furball." Usopp petted Blizzard with a grin, before he drew an enormous jar of peanut butter. "And here's some bones to dip in it." He added before he drew a small pile of bones. Blizzard stared at the snack in disbelief at first before he let out a happy howl and tackled Usopp to the ground licking his face mercilessly. **SLURP! SLURP! SLURP!**

"OKAY! HA-HA! OKAY! DOWN ALREADY!" Usopp laughed before the wolf dog got off him and went to sit under the cherry tree with Chopper to eat his treat in peace. "And I already know what you want Luffy. So you can draw it yourself. Even you can pull that off."

"Shishishi~! Too true, Usopp." Luffy grinned, but before he could get started Nami stopped him for a moment.

"Don't go overboard, ok?" she warned him.

"Yeah I hear ya, Nami." Luffy said before he got to work drawing a truly gigantic chunk of meat, his mouth watering like mad.

XXX

"Ah~! Wow what a day! We really struck it rich with this magic pencil, huh Nami?"

"I second that alright, Luffy."

"Still. Even if Doodle-Luffy was bad news, I still felt kinda responsible for him. I was his creator after all."

"And you were, sweetheart. You took responsibility of erasing his ass before he tried to claim mine."

"HAHA! I guess you do have a sense of humour, Nami. But in the end I am glad that things are back to normal." Luffy said as he looked proudly at his and Nami's new improved love nest, which they had added new furniture, decorations, a larger chest vault for their money and treasure and also a larger mini fridge to store more snacks for Luffy. The captain yawned before he climbed into bed next to Nami.

"Well. Goodnight my beautiful Queen."

"Goodnight my handsome King." Nami replied before both shared a passionate kiss.

"Goodnight Magic Pencil." Luffy said as he tucked the pencil in between them.

"Luffy, is that really called for?"

"Where better place to keep it safe than with the fearsome Captain and the fiery Navigator?" Nami rolled her eyes before smiling.

"Whatever floats your boat, Luffy." She said before switching out the light.

XXX

Meanwhile, outside the ship, the Doodle-Luffy arm had dragged itself to the shore and could now see the Sunny. It hopped up onto its hand and scuttled onto the ship, before it made its way to Luffy and Nami's room. Very cautiously, it opened the door and crawled over to the bed before it grabbed the pencil and began to draw itself back together. The scratchy sound of the pencil caused Luffy and Nami to awake.

"Magic Pencil? What are you doing up? Drawing yourself a midnight snack?" Luffy chuckled until the Doodle-Luffy slowly emerged beside him, redrawn. "AAH! DOODLE-LUFFY! Um…no hard feelings, right?" he asked sheepishly. The doodle kept its monotone expression for a moment before it drew a pair of angry eyebrows on its face.

"NYA!"

"Luffy look out!" Nami yelped.

"What do you think you're doing, Doodle?!" Luffy shouted.

"You Doodle! Me Luffy!" Doodle-Luffy snarled before he swiped the eraser at Luffy only to hit the pillow and erase it in two.

"NAMI HELP!" Luffy cried as Doodle-Luffy chased him out of the room.

"LUFFY HOLD ON! I'M COMING!" Nami cried as she chased after them. Doodle-Luffy chased Luffy up the ladder and through Zoro and Robin's room, waking them both in the process. But before either could react, both Luffys had dashed out the door.

"Guys stop that doodle. He's after Luffy!" Nami cried who'd just turned up.

"Nami what do you-" **SLAM!** The door to their room suddenly slammed shut before a click sounded form the other side. It was revealed that doodle-Luffy had drawn a padlock on the other side of the door and locked them in so there'd be no interferences. He then saw Luffy making a dash for the men's quarters, but he took a flying leap and landed in front of Luffy before drawing a padlock on the doors to the men's quarters too. A wicked smile spread across his face before he advanced towards Luffy.

"Come on, Doodle. You wouldn't kill me. You're still a version of me and I've never killed anyone." Luffy begged, but Doodle-Luffy only snarled as he madly swung the eraser at Luffy before when the dust settled a partially erased Luffy, with only one leg, one and half arms, half a face and half a hat was left. Doodle-Luffy burst out laughing at the ridiculous sight. Luffy looked at his reflection before he noticed his hat.

"You just…erased…HALF OF MY HAAAAAT!" he roared in fury before he lunged at doodle-Luffy and managed to get the pencil off him before he managed to draw himself back together again. "And now to erase your ass for good!" But before he could touch him, Doodle-Luffy swatted the pencil away from him before both pirates began to wrestle and roll around the deck. But at that moment, Nami emerged from the trap door on deck, since their room was in the lower body of the ship. She noticed the two Luffys fighting before she suddenly had an epiphany.

"Doodle-Luffy's a drawing so the one thing that can stop a drawing dead in its tracks is…PAPER!" she thought, but then she noticed the pencil and that's what gave her another idea. She grabbed the drawing tool before he dashed off to the library. By this point, Doodle-Luffy had managed to pin Luffy beneath him before he drew a large cutlass from his belt (which he'd added after he redrew himself).

"Me Luffy now! Only one Luffy!" he laughed.

"NO DON'T DO IT! IT CAN'T END THIS WAY!" Luffy roared, but just before Doodle-Luffy could strike. **Whee-Woo~!** A seductive whistle suddenly caught the pair's ears. Doodle-Luffy turned his gaze to the library where a slender leg stepped out from behind the doorway, before emerged….a Doodle-Nami. She placed one hand behind her head and another on her rear before she winked Doodle-Luffy and kissed the air. **Mwah!** Doodle-Luffy's jaw dropped before he stood up from Luffy and a huge, open, love-struck smile spread across his face.

"Nami~" he drooled before he began to run towards her. Doodle-Nami slowly stepped into the library, beckoning him after her. When he noticed her, he blushed before he shy waved his fingers at her which she returned before opening her arms to him, closing her eyes and pursing her lips. Doodle-Luffy's eyes immediately turned into hearts before her charged at her and locked lips with her. The two kissed passionately before Nami appeared in front of them.

"Yoo-hoo!" the doodle couple stopped kissing before they noticed Nami holding a large blank book. "Page for the happy couple!" **BAM!** With that she slammed the book around the two of them before opening it to reveal Doodle-Luffy and Doodle-Nami both smiling and embracing each other lovingly, together forever. Nami smiled at them before she noticed Luffy enter the library as well.

"Nami did you see that?! It was a Doodle-Nami. She saved me, she…hey where are they?"

"Right here." Nami said sweetly before she showed him the page. "Pretty good for my first self-portrait, huh?"

"You mean you drew that Doodle-Nami?!"

"Of course I did. I was able to figure out why Doodle-Luffy was so attracted to me and desperate to replace you."

"Why?"

"…Because every Luffy needs a Nami." Luffy remained silent for a few moments before his eyes watered slightly and he embraced his fiancé. "That was beautiful, Nami. You know how to make every me happy."

"And you know how to make every me happy." Nami smiled before they both shared a kiss.

XXX

The next morning Luffy and Nami hung up the page of Doodle-Luffy and doodle-Nami in a framed picture in their love nest. Btu just then the door opened to reveal the crew. Of course Luffy erased the padlocks that had been put on the doors, but the everyone had gone back to sleep by that point.

"Hey guys, what was all that ruckus last night?" Sanji asked.

"Were you two going at it again?" Franky asked. The captain and navigator blushed heavily.

"Well we did hear shouting's of 'Luffy' and 'Nami.'" Brook said.

"We weren't having sex guys!" Nami shouted. "Just see for yourself." She said as she pointed to the picture.

"It's the evil doodle!" Usopp squawked.

"No. He wasn't evil, Usopp." Luffy said. "He was just a drawn out character lost in our world searching for his purpose and companion."

"Companion?" Zoro asked.

"Look, Blizzard! He has a little doodle-Nami with him!" Chopper pointed.

"So he does." Robin smiled.

"Every Luffy needs a Nami." Nami smiled. Luffy grinned as he wrapped arm around her shoulder before they nuzzled each other lovingly.

"Wow. That's some SUPER poetry right there!" Franky sniffed at the sweet line.

"So…he's a drawing?" Usopp asked.

"Absolutely. See how happy he is?" Luffy said.

"_He still looks kind of pervy._" Blizzard muttered.

XXX

"Oh, great Magic Pencil, your powers are too mighty for us Straw-Hat Pirates. So we will send you back to the magic kingdom from whence you came." Usopp and Sanji are standing atop the roof of the crow's nest. On deck Luffy is lying on his back and the rest of the crew are observing from a safe distance.

"Do we really have to send it back? That pencil could have kept us rich and healthy forever." Nami sulked.

"We're pirates, Nami, remember? It's our purpose to earn our rewards. If we kept the pencil, we'd just end up boring and lazy." Nami thought this over for a moment before she beamed.

"I love it when you think things through." Luffy grinned before he faced Usopp and Sanji again.

"Are you ready, Luffy?!" Usopp called.

"Ready!"

"Are you ready, Sanji?!"

"Roger wilco!"

"Then let's go!" Usopp said before he tossed the pencil into Luffy's mouth, who inflated his body as big as he could until Usopp and Sanji leapt off the crow's nest and landed on Luffy's stomach. **POOFT!** The pencil was shot up into the air and kept on going higher and higher until it eventually disappeared.

XXX

Back in the studio, we re-join Oda, in a creative slump. His head lain sadly on his deck before the pencil came splashing back out of the book and landed in front of him.

"Huh? What's-What's this?" he says before he sits up staring overjoyed at his loyal drawing tool. "MY PENCIL!" he cheers. He chuckles joyfully as he brings it to his paper once more to continue his work, until…**snap!** As he presses it against the paper, the lead snaps. "Huh?" The second most important rule for being in my fics: Always bring a pencil sharpener.

"NOOOOOOOOO~!"

The End


	15. Belle and Hanako's Jungle Journey

What starts out as simple walk spirals out of control into a dangerous journey for Belle and Hanako who must face several challenges both physical and mental. How will they cope with what lies ahead? Read on to find out for yourself.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard, belle and Hanako belong to XfangheartX**

**Chippy belongs to me**

* * *

The Straw-hat pirates had recently docked at their latest island. On the downside, it was a truly enormous island was swamped in a huge jungle, so that meant it would be easy to get lost in it and they would have to gather supplies by hand there. But on the upside, it meant there'd be no marines or bounty hunters there to chase them and it also meant adventure for six-year old Belle and eleven-year old Hanako. As soon as they'd seen the island, they'd been literally itching to go for an explore, but Nami was firm that they would have to be accompanied. The chosen escorts were herself and Usopp. The two adults walked in front of the children who kept a steady pace behind them.

"Remember, you two." Nami began. "According to Robin's books, this island is known for being incredibly thick and therefore easy to lose yourself in. But not only that, the islands also know for leading people astray by distracting them and eventually consuming them."

"Consuming them?! You mean like that giant man eating plant island, Uncle Usopp landed on when he was younger?" Belle asked in shock.

"No not like that. What I mean is there's a good chance you'd be lost in the jungle for ever and eventually starve and then your body would eventually become part of the earth, so in a way the island would consume you. I'm sorry if I'm scaring you, but I need you to take this seriously. You're still very young, so we can't afford to lose you."

"We understand, Aunt Nami." Hanako said a little scared.

"Come one, kids. Don't frown now. We're here to enjoy ourselves, remember?" Usopp said, until he snapped his fingers. "I know! Let's sing a song."

"Yeah! Which one?!" Belle asked excited.

"I think I know which one. Just follow my lead and keep repeating these words." Usopp said before he cleared his throat and began to snap his fingers. "A-wimoweh-a-wimoweh~ A-wimoweh-a-wimoweh~ A-wimoweh-a-wimoweh~ A-wimoweh-a-wimoweh~" he chanted. Belle and Hanako giggled at the strange chant before they began to join in, stepping in time with the tune. Nami looked back a moment to see the kids dancing with song and smiled at their antic before tuning her gaze back to the path. "That's it! Just keep that tune while I sing the lyrics!" Usopp said before he began. "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps toniiiiight~!" Belle and Hanako continued to chant until they spotted a golden Hercules beetle land in front of them and crawl off into a nearby bush. Entranced by the insect, they followed it while still chanting. Usopp however didn't seem to notice them wander off since he could still hear them.

"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps to-I can't hear ya, kids! Back me up! AWEEEEEEEEE-EE-EE-EE-A YEAH! A-WIMOWEEEHHH~! A…kids?" he looked around only to see they'd vanished. He gasped. "NAMI!" the navigator stopped dead and turned around.

"Usopp, where are the kids?!"

"They were right behind me a second ago! They just vanished!" Usopp panicked.

"Something must have distracted them!"

"Well they can't have gone far! Search everywhere!"

"But then we could get lost too! WHAT DO WE DO?!" Nami cried.

"Try calling for them. Like you said they can't have got far, so call for them!" Usopp suggested.

"Right. BELLE~!" Nami called.

"HANAKO~!" Usopp yelled with his hands cupped around his mouth.

"KIDS~!" they both shouted, but got no reply.

"Now what?" Usopp whimpered.

"Ok, let's not panic. Let's head back to the ship and get the guys. I have a map of the island after all. We'll have Franky print it and then we'll split into groups and search the island."

"Right! Then let's go, no time to lose!" Usopp said before they both ran back to the ship as fast as they could.

XXX

"A-wimoweh-a-wimoweh~ A-wimoweh-a-wimoweh~" Belle sang a little quieter as she and Hanako followed after the golden Hercules as it scuttled along the ground before stopping at a nearby shrub to munch on some of the berries it bore.

"Now's our chance, Hanako." Belle whispered.

"Belle? I think we may have wandered off the path." Hanako said

"Actually now that you mention it, I can't hear Mummy or Uncle Usopp anymore." Belle said, her voice beginning to become worried.

"Then…you don't mean…"

"WE'RE LOST~!" Belle cried.

"Okay-okay. Let's just calm down. We've been walking in a straight line, right?" Hanako said.

"Right."

"Then all we have to do is walk back in a straight line and we'll be on the path again."

"That's a great idea. After all I do have a good sense of direction." Belle said proudly.

"Says the girl who just screamed that we're lost." Hanako muttered.

"Hey!"

"Lighten up, I'm just teasing. Come on let's go back. Just keep going straight and we'll be back on the path."

"Right." But just as the two pirates were about to take a step, they heard what sounded like a growl a few feet away from them. "W-What was that?" Belle squeaked. Both kids took a deep breath before turning around to look into the nearby bushes. At first, they couldn't see anything, but that's when they noticed a pair of big golden eyes in amongst the foliage. Another growl reached their ears.

"Belle. Just back away, real slow." Hanako murmured as he began to step backwards. Belle on the other hand was shaking like a leaf. The reason being that after the little experience she had before with Usopp and the jaguars, it had left her afraid of big cats. She tried her best not open her mouth, but it was no use.

"TIIGEERRRR~!" she before she made like lightning and bolted.

"BELLE NO! WAIT!" Hanako yelled as he chased after her. **RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWRR!** The tiger roared in fury before she began to chase after them.

"NICE GOING, BELLE!" Hanako shouted in anger as he ran alongside her. "NOW SHE'S AFTER US!"

"YOU KNOW I'M SCARED OF BIG CATS!" Belle shouted back. "AND BESIDES SHE WAS GONNA CHASE US ANYWAY!" the two of them continued to run. They tried everything to make the tiger fall behind them. They pulled branches back, crawled through bushes and even pushed a log down a hill, but the big cat continued to pursue them.

"What's with this tiger?! She won't give up!" Hanako said frustrated.

"Just keep running~!" Belle yelled before they reached a dead end and the tiger was fast approaching, but they looked around, they could see one of the many trees surrounding them, reached up to the top of the wall they'd reached.

"Quick! The tree! Climb the tree and get to the top of the cliffside!" Hanako said before they both began to climb, but as Hanako continued to make his way up the tree, he heard a cry just beneath him.

"HANAKO~!" he looked down in horror to see Belle slipping down the tree, the tiger just below at the base of the tree. "AAAAAAAAHH~!" Belle screamed as she tried her hardest to cling on. Hanako slid down after her and just when the tiger was about to grab her…

"HA!" **SLASH!** With an angry cry, Hanako grabbed the Nodachi sword Zoro had given him and slashed at the Tiger, leaving a large cut on the side of its face. It roared in pain for a moment before it slowly turned its head back to Hanako, snarling fiercely at him. By this point both he and Belle were quite far up the tree now.

"Hanako you saved me!" Belle said wiping away what tears had escaped her eyes from before.

"Save the hugs and kisses for later, Sis. Right now we need to get to that ledge." Hanako replied.

"What's the rush? That big bad tigey-wigey can't catch us now. **PBBBBBBBT~!**" Belle stuck her tongue out at the tiger which snarled at her. But then it took a few steps back before it charged towards the tree and took a giant leap and grabbed onto the tree and began to crawl up it.

"IT CAN CLIMB?!" Belle cried in shock.

"Now you've pissed it off. Come on, Belle!" Hanako said before he helped Belle up the tree until they eventually reached the edge and climbed onto the grassy ground before they took off again, the tiger not too far behind them.

"SHE'S STILL AFTER US~!" Belle looked back as they continued to run, but all of a sudden **SKREEEEEEE!** Hanako came to a grinding halt, Belle bumping into him in the process. "Hanako what's-" Belle tried to say until she noticed why he'd stopped. They were standing on the edge of a cliff and about fifteen meters below them was a large river.

"Damn we're trapped." Hanako said through his teeth, but they both gasped when they heard a fierce growl behind them. They returned to see the tiger had caught up to them again and was slowly advancing towards them; certain she'd caught her prey this time.

"Hanako what do we do?" Belle whimpered as she clung to his arm mercilessly.

"Belle?" Hanako spoke, gaining her attention. "Do you trust me?"

"…Hanako now's not the ti-"

"Do you trust me?!"

"…Yes?"

"THEN JUMP!" Hanako yelled before taking Belle in his arms, he leaped off the cliff, taking both her and the tiger by complete surprise. Belle screamed as they fell before they landed in the river, unharmed. **SPLASH!** The two children broke the surface a few seconds later, gasping slightly. Belle turned around in the water to see the tiger still standing on the cliff, roaring in anger at losing her lunch once again.

"Do you think she'll jump in after us?" Belle asked.

"No. It's over." Hanako said as he turned around to face the river.

"Well I don't know about you, brother," Belle said as she watched the tiger disappear into the jungle again. "but I don't see how things could get any worse." But at that moment, Hanako noticed something up ahead and his eyes widened.

"Uh-oh." Belle seemed to know what was coming, for she kept her back to Hanako and her face straight.

"Don't tell me. We're about to go over a huge waterfall."

"Yep."

"Sharp rocks at the bottom?"

"Most likely." Hanako said dully.

"…Bring it on." And low and behold, Belle and Hanako were washed over the edge of a truly enormous waterfall. "**BOOYAHAHAHAHAHA WOOOOOO~!**" Belle wailed as they fell. "IT'S ALL OVER~!" Hanako was also screaming until her noticed a large cluster of vines on one side of the waterfall.

"Not yet it's not!" he said before he grabbed a hold of Belle and reached for one of the vines. "HOLD ON!" he yelled before he tightened his grip on the vine and they swung away from the waterfall and landed in another patch of jungle, tumbling across the ground and landing in a heap. They both panted for several long seconds before they final caught their breath.

"We're alive?" Hanako breathed, until his breath was knocked out of him again when Belle tackled him with a hug.

"YOU SAVED ME AGAIN! YOU'RE MY HERO BIG BROTHER~!" Belle wailed as she squeezed him and kissed him on the cheeks. **Smooch-Smooch-Smooch-Smooch!**

"No…need…for thanks." Hanako gagged as Belle tightened her hug on him until she released him.

"My whole life flashed before eyes!...It was really short." Belle muttered the last part. "Well at least we finally lost that stupid tiger." Hanako said.

"Yeah…... But now we really are lost." Hanako whimpered slightly as he looked around the deep jungle. "How the hell are we gonna get home now?! We don't know where the path is!"

"Look Hanako, don't panic. We'll find a way back."

"I'm not panicked. Who's panicked?! NOBODY'S PANICKED!" Hanako shouted before Belle shook him by the shoulders.

"I'm serious, Hanako. We're gonna get through this. Don't lose your nerve after you just saved us from death, it's not cool. This is a jungle, remember? There's bound to be fruit here and maybe even small animals we can eat."

"I suppose that's true." Hanako muttered.

"Come on. You've done enough for us so far. It's my turn to help now. Let's go." Belle said before they made their way further into the jungle.

XXX

"**YOU LOST THEM?!**" Nami and Usopp were both standing before the rest of the crew who were completely horrified at what they'd just heard.

"How could you lose the kids?!" Luffy yelled.

"It happened just like that, Luffy!" Usopp argued, snapping his fingers. "One moment we were all singing and then they just vanished.

"It's true, Luffy." Nami said.

"Well what the hell do we do?!" Sanji panicked.

"We find them. That's what!" Zoro said before he began to walk off.

"Wait, Zoro! Where are you going?!" Usopp said.

"To find my son, what do you think?!"

"You'll just get lost too! Zoro, please I wanna get the kids back, too, but we're all gonna need maps and stay in pairs if we're gonna find them and not get lost ourselves." Nami said.

"…Fine." Zoro growled.

"I've got the prints, Nami." Franky said who'd just turned up with a stack of maps of the island.

"Good job, Franky." Nami said. "Right, we're gonna split into pairs and search the island. Luffy's with me. Zoro and Robin, you're a team. Usopp and Blizzard, you're a team. Sanji and Franky, you're a team. And lastly, Brook and Chopper, you're the last team. Each pair will have a map of the island and a transponder snail. If you find either or both of the kids, contact us immediately."

"RIGHT, NAMI!" the crew said together.

"Then let's go! Operation Rugrat Retrieval!" Usopp said before the crew took off from the ship to find their pirate kids.

XXX

Belle and Hanako trudged through the deep green vegetation. Both children walked side by side, Belle leading the way while Hanako cut away any plants that were blocking their path.

"So where is it we're supposed to go?" he asked.

"We need to get to higher ground. That way we might be able to see the Sunny." Belle said.

"Gotcha." Hanako said before they continued trekking until they eventually reached a clearing. They decided to stop for a rest, but it was then that the silence was interrupted by Belle's stomach.

"Ohhh~! I'm getting hungry~. Stoppit, tummy!" she said.

"It's ok, Belle. I'm quite hungry myself." Hanako said. "Maybe one of us should find some food while the other sets up a camp."

"I'll find us some food." Belle volunteered. "Oh and to make sure we don't get lost again." she took off her backpack and pulled out a pair of walkie-talkies. "Good thing they didn't get wet since my pack's waterproof. I'll go find some fruit or something and we'll keep in contact with these."

"Well that is a good idea. But you could still get lost." Hanako brought up. "And telling me where you are may be difficult since this jungle all looks the same." Belle thought for a moment before the she pulled out a ball of string.

"I heard about this in one of Uncle Usopp's stories." She said. "This warrior had to enter a huge maze, so to make sure he didn't get lost he left a trail of string through the maze so he could follow it back."

"Great idea, Belle." Hanako said before he tied one end of the string to a tree, while Belle tied the other end to her wrist. "I just hope you can find some food before you run out of string."

"I will, don't worry. You set up a shelter. I'll be back." Belle replied before she took off.

XXX

Back with the Straw-Hats Chopper and Brook had made their way to the cliff where Hanako and Belle had jumped.

"Shoot! The scent ends here." Chopper said.

"Then that can only mean they jumped into the river." Brook assumed.

"You're right, Brook. I can smell tiger around here too. They must have been chased by one and jumped in to escape it."

"So that means they're somewhere down river."

"Come on then." Chopper said as he climbed onto Brook's shoulders before the skeleton leapt off the cliff and began to run along the river. **SHF-SHF-SHF-SHF-SHF!** But as he continued to run, Chopper noticed something up ahead.

"WHOA! BROOK STOP! TURN AROUND!" the skeleton jumped slightly at the outburst before he noticed what was up ahead as well. He comically skidded on the water before he turned around and ran back in the opposite direction until he reached the bank.

"A waterfall." He said as they both walked to the edge to see the cascading fall in front of them.

"You don't think…" Chopper said.

"No, they couldn't have. I'm sure they pulled themselves out of the river before they went over. The current's not that strong." Brook said reassuringly.

"I'll take your word for it. Let's just search this are. It's close to river after all. They must not be far from it." Chopper said. Brook nodded before the two made off into the jungle to continue their search.

XXX

Hanako, by this point, had finished setting up a shelter for him and Belle when it was at that moment he heard a rustling sound form the nearby bushes.

"_Oh no. Don't tell me that tiger found us again._" he thought before he turned his gaze to where the sound was coming from. He looked at the bush before he noticed a pair of eyes peering through it, but they didn't belong to a tiger. These ones were much rounder, and had slitted pupils. The eyes blinked at him for a moment, before they suddenly became flooded with colourful patterns. Hanako gasped slightly at the change, but he couldn't look away from the beautiful array of colours. It was then that Belle came wandering back to the camp, carrying an armful of different fruits, but when she saw what was happening to Hanako, she dropped them. Hanako was standing as stiff as a post and looking upwards, and right above him was an enormous green python, which was staring directly into his eyes. Belle gasped when she noticed its multi-coloured eyes and the fact that Hanako's were mimicking it. She'd seen that reptile in one of Robin's nature books: a Spectral Snake. Its eyes contained a type of pigment that allowed them to change colour in order to entrance its prey. Belle gasped again as the snake opened its mouth and, thinking fast, she tackled Hanako out of the way before the large reptile could swallow him.

"YOU DIRTY GREAT SNAKE!" Belle roared before she grabbed a stick and began whacking the reptile repeatedly. By this point, Hanako sat and up and shook his head, his eyes returning to normal.

"Wha-What the?" he then noticed Belle hitting the large snake. "BELLE!"

"YOU LEAVE HANAKO ALONE!" Belle shouted before she miraculously grabbed the snake by its tail, swung it in several big circles before finally letting go and sending it flying off through the jungle. Belle sighed before she turned to face Hanako who was now gaping in astonishment. "Now I got to save you."

"Belle, that was unbelievable!" You swung that big snake around like it was a wet towel! How can you be that strong?!"

"Guess I got it from my Daddy." Belle grinned. "But anyway, let's eat."

"Yeah." Hanako smiled before the two got down to lunch.

XXX

Luffy and Nami were currently walking through part of the jungle calling out to the children in the hopes that they'd hear them.

"BELLE~!" Nami called.

"HANAKO~!" Luffy yelled. But at that moment they noticed something falling towards them. "INCOMING!" Luffy said before he and Nami got out of the way before **THUD!** Something big and green landed in front of them. It was none other than the Spectral Snake. It shook its head from the concussion it had received form not only the fall but the beating it got form Belle, until it noticed Luffy. Surprisingly, it was able to see that he was Belle's father, for it hissed in terror before slithering off in a flash.

"Wow. Now how in the Grand Line did a snake fall out of the sky?" Luffy wondered.

"It seemed to be frightened of you, Luffy. Did you use your Haki on it?" Nami asked.

"No. I didn't do anything. It was like it mistook me for someone."

"Weird." Nami muttered. "Well we better keep looking."

"Yeah. BELLE~!"

"HANAKO~!"

XXX

Back with Belle and Hanako, the two children were currently enjoying the pile of fruit that Belle had managed to find. But then Hanako suddenly noticed a mango from the pile was beginning to wander off.

"Hey." He said before he grabbed the walking piece of fruit and suddenly heard a small **EEK!** Hanako let go of the fruit in surprise when he found the little thief to be a small squirrel monkey. Judging by its appearance it looked no more than a year old. It stared at Hanako with its small shiny eyes as it hugged the fruit protectively. The boy chuckled at the little mammal before he nudged Belle to get attention.

"Heh-heh. Belle look we've got company." He said. The pipsqueak turned to see the small monkey.

"Aww! Hello there. Where'd you come from?" she smiled at the monkey.

"Little guy wanted some of our fruit. Cute little thief ain't he?" Hanako grinned as he scratched the monkey behind his ear. He at first smiled at the contact before he swatted Hanako's hand away, letting out an annoyed chatter. "Okay-okay. Feisty one, huh?" Hanako said before going back to the pineapple he was eating. He then noticed the mango the monkey had dropped before he picked it back up and offered it to him. He looked at Hanako curiously. "Go on take it." The monkey looked at the fruit before he accepted the offer and took a bite from it. He smiled at the two kids before he scampered off into the jungle.

"Nice little monkey." Belle said as she continued eating one of the bananas she picked.

"Yeah. Hey, Belle. Have you ever wanted an animal companion? Like how Uncle Luffy is with Blizzard." Hanako asked.

"Yeah. I've always wanted a pet buddy to watch my back and cheer me up when I'm down. Hopefully when we have our own crew I'll have one."

"Yeah, maybe you will." But it was then that they heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes, before the little monkey came running out again and stopped about a foot away from the bush. "Hey, little guy. After more of our fruit?" the monkey then put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. **FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!** A few seconds passed before he was soon joined by a whole group of monkeys. Squirrels, Marmosets, Capuchins, Tamarins and even Spider monkeys. They all stared hungrily at the big pile of fruit.

"This, looks like trouble." Hanako said before the army of small primates charged towards them. Hanako and Belle leapt away in shock before they saw the monkey's swipe up all of the fruit and run off with it.

"HEY YOU LITTLE THIEVES! GIVE THAT BACK!" Belle roared before she chased after the monkeys.

"BELLE WAIT FOR ME!" Hanako called as he ran after her. Belle charged after the group of monkey, which began to split up in different directions. Belle decided to chase after the squirrel monkey who was being accompanied by two marmosets and a spider. The four monkeys turned their heads top see Belle coming before they jumped up into a nearby tree, causing Belle to run right under them.

"Hey!" she said before she stopped in her tracks when she came to the edge of a steep hill. "Phew~! That was close." But she would soon be taking that comment back, when Hanako appeared and came running up to Belle, but unbeknownst to him, one of the marmosets in the tree sneakily took a banana peel from a fruit it'd just ate and got ready to toss it in front of Hanako. The squirrel monkey, noticing this, tried to stop it's comrade but it was too late as the monkey threw the banana peel into Hanako's path who proceeded to slip on the yellow rind and crash into Belle sending the both of them stumbling down the steep hill.

"Ow~. My head~." Belle groaned as she sat up. "Are you okay, Hanako?"

"I think so. Sorry Belle. I slipped on something." Hanako said before he noticed the banana peel next to him. "Hmm, now I wonder who could've done that?" he asked sarcastically, before he looked up the steep hill to see the squirrel monkey and his companions looking down at them. "You pesky flea-bitten primates!" he shouted. "Now thanks to you we're stuck down here with no food!" the squirrel monkey pointed to the marmoset. "I don't care who's fault it is! You're still the ringleader in all of this for getting all your mates to steal our fruit!" the squirrel monkey then rolled a couple of apples down the hill which Hanako caught. "Che. Whatever, just get out of here, ya little thief." The monkey looked down sadly before him and his comrades wandered off.

"Don't you think you were a bit harsh on him? He did give us some fruit." Belle said.

"Even so, we're still stuck down here. There's no way we can climb that hill. The dirt's too loose and the hill's too steep. And these two apples are nowhere near enough to satisfy us. We need some meat." Belle's stomach growled loudly the mention of the food.

"Oh please don't say meat, Hanako~." She groaned.

"Well. We'll get some."

"How?"

"With brains." Hanako smirked tapping his finger to the side of his head.

XXX

Usopp and Blizzard trudged through the undergrowth as they searched for the children.

"Can you smell them, Bliz?" the sniper asked.

"_Nope. Can't smell a damn thing._" (A.N. I figured by this point in the future the whole crew can understand Blizzard, except Belle and Hanako) the wolf-dog growled. But just then the pair heard the patter of a great number of small paws, before the huge group of monkeys came rushing through the jungle. A few even scrambled over Usopp and Blizzard.

"Hey! Cut it out ya little pests!" Usopp snapped as the monkeys scampered off with the fruit in their hands. But then Usopp and Blizzard saw the small squirrel monkey trotting along the ground and that was when Blizzard's nose caught a familiar scent.

"_Hey monkey!_" he barked, causing the small primate to stop suddenly and stare up at the large canine in fear.

"_No please don't eat me! I'm too skinny and I may have fleas!_" he squeaked.

"_No I'm not gonna eat you._" Blizzard said.

"What's going on?" Usopp asked.

"_This monkey smells like Hanako._" Blizzard said.

"He does?! Then we must be on the right track!"

"_Monkey. Have you seen two children around here?_" Blizzard asked.

"_My name's Chippy._" The monkey said. "_And I did see two humans actually. I think they were called…Belle and Hanako?_"

"_THAT'S THEM!_" Blizzard said joyfully making Chippy jump. "We're looking for them, where are they?!"

"_A few miles from here I think. I hope they're ok._"

"_How? What happened?_"

"_They fell down a hill after one of my friend made them slip on a banana skin. They aren't hurt though. I just hope they can find some food after my friends took it all._"

"_Typical of monkeys._" Blizzard muttered. "_So should we just keep going this way?_"

"_Uh-huh. If you're looking for their scent, you should be able to pick it up._" Chippy said.

"_Brilliant! Thanks a lot, Chippy!_" Blizzard grinned "_Let's go, Usopp!_"

"Right!" the sniper said before the two straw-hats took off while Chippy watched them leave, before he decided to follow after them.

XXX

Night was beginning to fall and Belle and Hanako were currently hiding in the bushes while a small rope trap was laid out in front of them, one of the apples sitting in it.

"How long is this gonna take?" Belle whispered.

"Just be patient." Hanako whispered back. But it was then that a rabbit suddenly scampered into the clearing and noticed the apple. Hanako faced Belle and put his finger to his lips. The latte nodded before they both turned back to face the rabbit. It crawled towards the apple until it was directly within the circle and began to nibble the fruit. **TUG!** Hanako pulled the rope which quickly ensnared the rabbit by its feet.

"GOT IT~!" Hanako cheered before he and Belle wandered over to the small anima which was squeaking and trying to get free.

"How are we supposed to eat it?" Belle asked nervously.

"We have to kill it, Belle." Hanako said solemnly.

"K…Kill it?" belle whimpered as she looked at the rabbit. Hanako then pulled out his Nodachi but before he could strike, Belle grabbed his arm. "NO! No don't kill it!" she cried.

"I have to, Belle! If we don't eat it, we'll starve!" Hanako argued.

"But it's just a bunny! He can't fight back!"

"So you're saying we go find the tiger or a bear and eat that instead?!"

"I-I was thinking more along the lines of fish-" Belle tried to protest.

"We're nowhere near a river, Belle!" Hanako shouted. "Uncle Luffy had to go through this when he was your age. You need to learn to eat other animals in order to survive and carry on living…no matter how small or harmless they may be." Belle looked at the rabbit sadly, before she sniffed. Hanako shook his head before giving her a warm hug.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but we both have our whole lives ahead of us. We got ourselves into this mess, so now we have to face the consequences. There are gonna be points in your life when you have to do things you don't like and get your hands dirty…or even bloody. So the sooner you learn to deal with it the less hard it'll be on you in the future." He rubbed his little sister's back who in turn hugged him in return, sniffling slightly, before letting go. She knelt down beside the rabbit and gently stroked its fur with one hand before holding out the other to Hanako.

"I'll do it."

"Belle…y-you don't have t-"

"It's like you said. I need to learn to deal with this if I'm going to be as great as Daddy." Hanako looked at her before handing his sword to her. Belle looked back to the rabbit, as she continued to stroke its fur. "I'm sorry." She said. "I know you're small, but me and my brother have to eat you in order to carry on. We'll never forget your sacrifice and how you saved our lives." She then aimed the sword over the rabbit's heart. "Thank you." With a quick thrust, and her face tensed, she stabbed the animal which gave one sharp squeak before it fell still, its eyes closed. Belle choked back as sob as she pulled the blade out and let her tears run down her face. Hanako put his arm around her before he gave her another comforting hug.

"You were so brave." He said as Belle continued to hiccup and sniffle.

"I…I know. But still…he was so small." She choked.

"He may have been small. But he'll be more than enough to get us through the night. And that's all the reason we need to thank him." Hanako said as he looked at the rabbit. "I'll cook."

XXX

On another point of the island, Sanji had set up a campfire for him and Franky. The cyborg then came trudging through the jungle before he sat himself down beside the cook.

"No sign of them?" Sanji said.

"No hide or hair of them." Franky replied before he started sobbing.

"Oh great." Sanji muttered. "Pull yourself together, Franky. You're a grown man.

"I know that, dammit! But their just little kids, someone has to shed tears for them being out there all alone and scared!"

"Well when you put it like that, it's touching. But still, we can't give up hope on them. They'll have each other and besides they are born of the greatest pirates in the world so that's gotta be worth something."

"I guess. I just hope we find them soon. I can't take it much more."

"Yeah. I can't take much more either."

XXX

With Zoro and Robin, the swordsman and archaeologist had also set up camp for the night, but neither parent could seem to sleep.

"When I find that boy, he's in for the punishment of a lifetime." Zoro said.

"Can you blame our son for inheriting your bad sense of direction?" Robin smiled.

"I'm serious, Robin. Hanako's not ready to face the world yet. He's got a long way to go."

"I know that you just want to protect him. But you know he's a pirate too. You can't keep him under your wing forever. You know Hanako's destined for greatness."

"Of course I do. I'll never stop believing in our son."

"Then you'll believe that he can survive this jungle. After all, Luffy had to go through the same thing when he was younger than Hanako, so this should be easy for him."

"You know this kind of ironic, isn't it?" Zoro then asked. "I mean you always tend to speak of the worst and now you're speaking of the best."

"Roronoa Zoro. I'd never use my morbid language when talking about Hanako."

"I figured."

"But putting that aside, I know he's alive and I know he's strong, for as young as he is. And we will find him, or else I'm not worthy of being a Mother."

"Same for me about being a Father." Zoro agreed before the two eventually fell asleep.

XXX

The next morning, Belle and Hanako awoke, alive and well, and still satisfied form the rabbit they'd had last night.

"So what's for breakfast?" Belle asked.

"Whatever we can find. What else?" Hanako said before the two set off. They hadn't gone far before they suddenly heard a truly ferocious noise.

"**RAAAAAAAAARRRRGGH!**"

"W-What was that?!" Belle squeaked.

"I don't know. But it definitely can't be good." Hanako said as they peered through the bushes to see an enormous black bear with brown stripes standing in front of a cave.

"That's one big bear." Belle said.

"Yeah, too big. We better get out of here before he catches our scent." But it was at that moment that Belle noticed something inside the cave in front of the bear. It was three small tiger cubs and they were all backed up against the cave in terror.

"Belle come on." Hanako said.

"But Hanako look. That bear's gonna eat those cubs."

"That's not our problem. We can't fight that thing."

"Well I can't leave those cubs. We have to save them."

"How?! Are you even listening to yourself?!"

"Yes. And I think I have an idea." Belle said. The Bear was just a few feet away from the cubs by this point and as it raised one of its huge paws, prepared to smash the cubs to pieces…

"HEY YOU BIG RUG!" the bear turned to see Belle standing in the clearing waving at it. "COME AND GET ME! I'm much meatier than those tiny cubs!" the bear growled before it began to chase after Belle who ran like the wind before she stopped in the middle of path and turned to face the bear that was fast approaching her. But just as it was about to pounce on her, Hanako suddenly leapt down from the trees and landed on the bear before he stabbed it in the back. The bear roared in pain and tried to shake Hanako off, giving Belle time to run up to the top of the hill where a fallen tree lay. The pipsqueak got behind it and began to push as hard as she could.

"ANYTIME WOULD BE GREAT, BELLE!" Hanako shouted as he continued to hang onto the bear.

"COME ON! BUDGE!" Belle yelled until she finally managed to push the tree down the hill. **CRASH!** The large piece of wood collided with the bear knocking it out cold just as Hanako leapt off its back before he finished the bear off while it was unconscious.

"Finally." He said. "I thought that big honey-eater was gonna tear me in two."

"We did it!" Belle cheered as she and Hanako hi-fived, before she wandered over the cave to see the three cubs. "It's okay." The cubs looked t Belle before they mewed and ran over to her, nuzzling and licking her face thankfully. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! You're welcome~!" Belle giggled.

"Wow. They really warmed up to you." Hanako smiled, but suddenly a growl sounded a few feet away. "Oh damn. I was certain I killed that be-" but as he turned around to face what he assumed was the bear, his face paled. Standing a few feet away and blocking the exit to the cave…was the tiger. He could tell from the scar he gave her yesterday. She growled ferociously at the boy before she began to prowl towards him. "Belle~?" he called. The girl turned around only to gasp at what she saw.

"Oh no, not her again." Belle whimpered. The tigress approached the pair snarling hungrily but before she could raise a paw, the three cubs ran between her and the kids and snarled defensively at her.

"She must be their Mother." Hanako said. The tiger looked at her cubs curiously as the continued to defend Belle and Hanako. She then turned her gaze to the dead bear before back to the cubs and then to the kids. She then stepped over the cubs and approached the children who pressed themselves up against the cave wall and shut their eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hanako. This is all my fault." Belle whimpered as she hugged him. But then, she felt something warm and wet on her face that made her stifle a laugh. She opened her eyes to see the tiger looking at her before it went back to licking her affectionately. "Heh-heh! Hey Hanako, she likes me." Hanako opened his eyes to see what the feline was doing.

"She must be saying thank you." He assumed before the tiger started to lick his face too, making him laugh.

"She's friendly!" Belle laughed before she hugged the big cat around her neck. "I'm gonna call you Akayla." The tiger seemed to like the name as she nuzzled Belle's face, making her giggle again.

"Well that's a relief that she doesn't want to eat us now." Hanako said, but that was when he got an idea. "Hey. Maybe she can help us get home."

"But how do we tell her?" Belle asked. Hanako thought, before he used his sword to draw a picture of the sunny in the dirt.

"Can…you take us…here?" he pointed to the drawing. Akayla looked at the image before she lay down and nodded to her back. "Belle I think she knows!"

"You mean she can take us home?!" Belle said. "YAY~!" she then ran over and climbed onto Akayla's back, followed by Hanako before the tiger walked off into the jungle, her cubs close behind.

XXX

About a couple of hours went by as Akayla made her way through the jungle, sniffing the air occasionally to find the path back to the ship. But then all of a sudden, a white shape crossed their path. It was none other than Blizzard, with Usopp on his back.

"BLIZZARD! UNCLE USOPP!" Belle cried in both shock and joy.

"BELLE! HANAKO! What in the world are you two doing riding a tiger?!" Belle and Hanako both climbed down form Akayla before they ran up to Blizzard, who proceeded to smother both of them in big wet doggy kisses.

"We missed you too, Blizzard~!" Belle laughed. "But I think I've been licked enough today." Usopp climbed down form Blizzard before he hugged his niece and nephew tightly.

"You two have no idea how worried we've all been, and how much trouble you're both in."

"We're sorry, Uncle Usopp." Hanako said.

"But still. I'm so glad you're safe."

"Akayla was actually bringing us back to the Sunny." Belle said.

"You mean the tiger?"

"Yeah, we saved her cubs form a bear." Hanako explained. Usopp looked at the tiger and her cubs who nodded.

"Well I never. Befriending a tiger and her cubs at such a young age." He then pulled out a transponder snail and dialled a quick number. "Luffy! Luffy this is Usopp! I've found the kids!"

"**YOU'RE KIDDING! Oh thank god! I owe you and Blizzard big time. See you back at the ship.**" Luffy said before the snail went to sleep.

"Come on, you two, time to go." Usopp said as he climbed back onto Blizzard.

"Just a minute." Belle said before she went over to Akayla and hugged her. "Thank you so much for helping us. We probably never would've found Uncle Usopp and Blizzard if not for you." Akayla gave Belle one last lick as if to say 'You're welcome' before Belle got down and hugged the cubs as well, until she eventually climbed onto Blizzard, along with Hanako.

"GOODBYE~!" they both said as the wolf-dog rode off, Akayla and her cubs meowing and roaring in reply.

XXX

"Can't…breathe." Belle choked as she tried to get out of Nami and Luffy's vice grip of a hug.

"I think you're the lucky one." Hanako muttered, who was currently dangling by his foot since Zoro was holding him upside down.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself, boy?"

"I'm sorry, Dad. I promise I won't wander off into a jungle again or may my sword be taken from me and melted down into four cans of lima beans which I will then be forced to eat. Slow." Zoro smirked before he put Hanako down and gave him a big hug. "That's my boy." He grinned. "And to be honest, I'm impressed you and Belle brought down a bear."

"Thank's Dad." Hanako smiled before several arms sprouted up from the ground and pulled him into an embrace from Robin.

"I knew my little star would make it. And I'm so proud of you for staying by Belle the whole way." She said as she lovingly kissed her son's cheek.

"Well of course I'm gonna stick with her. She's my little sister." Hanako grinned.

"Alright then. I think it's high time we got off this island." Nami said.

"Yeah. Besides, lunchtime!" Luffy cheered.

"Way ahead of you, Luffy." Sanji said as the crew made their way back onto the ship which began to set sail.

"And I think we all know who's getting dish duty for the next week." Nami said before the crew turned their gaze to Belle and Hanako.

"Aw rats!" they both said only for the crew to laugh in return as the Sunny cast off. But as they crew made their way into he galley, they didn't notice a small golden brown shape scamper onto the ship.

XXX

As the crew sat down to lunch, they spent time listening to Belle and Hanako telling them about their adventure.

"And since Akayla was so friendly, I'm not scared of big cats anymore." Belle smiled.

"That's great, Sweetie-Belle." Nami smiled. But then suddenly there was a flash of gold and a small monkey came springing into the galley. **EEK-EEK! OOH-OOH-AH!** The crew immediately leapt out of their seats as the money scampered across the table and made a dash for the fruit bowl.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Zoro yelled in surprise.

"How'd that monkey get in here?!" Nami cried as she backed away from the lively little simian.

"SOMEONE GET THAT FILTHY VERMIN OUT OF MY KITCHEN!" Sanji roared as he made a grab for a broom and tried to swat the monkey which squeaked in fright before it ran over to Hanako and climbed up his leg, its tail wrapped around it.

"Hey!" Hanako said as he tried to shake it off before he suddenly noticed something. "Wait, do I know you?" the monkey let go of Hanako's leg as it pulled out the fruit it had stolen from the bowl; a mango. It smiled at Hanako before it offered him the fruit chattering slightly.

"**IT'S YOU!**" Hanako and Belle both said in surprise.

"You know this monkey?" Brook asked.

"Yeah, he's the little thief who stole out fruit, along with his mates." Belle said.

"Hold the phone." Usopp spoke up. "I think I've seen that fur ball before."

"_Me too. I recognise his scent._" Blizzard said.

"You've met him too, big brother?" Chopper asked.

"_I think I have. Chippy, is that you?_" the monkey turned to face Blizzard when It heard its name.

"It is you!" Usopp said.

"Wait how do you and Blizzard know him?" Nami asked.

"This little guy helped us find Belle and Hanako. His name's Chippy." Usopp said.

"Are you serious?" Franky asked.

"It's true. We met him the jungle and he told us where he'd seen them." Blizzard said.

"So it's because of him that you were able to catch up with Belle and Hanako." Luffy said.

"Well I'll be a monkey's Uncle." Zoro said. Chippy looked at Hanako before he squeaked and chattered a few times.

"He said he's sorry his friends stole your fruit and he hopes that you'll forgive him." Chopper translated. Hanako looked at Chippy before he smiled and petted the little monkey.

"Sure I forgive you. You are a monkey after all. Can't help being mischievous." Chippy squeaked happily before he climbed onto Hanako's shoulder.

"I think you've made a friend, big brother." Belle giggled. Hanako and Chippy smiled at each other before they both looked at the crew with puppy eyes.

"Oh no! Not a chance!" Sanji said.

"Please~! I've always wanted an animal buddy. Uncle Luffy has Blizzard!"

"That's not the same. Monkeys are far more trouble than dogs!" Sanji said.

"Are they? They do have smaller stomachs, so you don't have to worry about food going short." Luffy said.

"But-"

"And we do kind of owe him for helping Usopp and Blizzard find the kids." Robin said.

"But he-"

"As the parent I'm cool with it." Zoro said before winking at Hanako with a grin, making his son smile widely.

"But he's a monkey!" Sanji argued. "What if he has diseases?"

"Nothing I can't cure." Chopper said.

"He might trash my kitchen!"

"I'll teach him to behave." Hanako promised.

"And he is kind of cute." Nami said as she scratched Chippy's chin, but that was when she noticed something shiny on his wrist. "Hey that's my aquamarine bracelet!" she said as she snatched the piece of jewellery off Chippy who chattered slightly in annoyance.

"Seems Chippy's quite the treasure hunter as well." Luffy laughed. Btu that gave Nami an idea for she smiled.

"Hmm, I bet you could help me pull heists, you cheeky monkey." She grinned. "How'd you like to be partners?" the little monkey squeaked in agreement before Nami extended a finger to him, which he shook gratefully.

"Maybe we should change his name to Abu." Usopp laughed. By now Sanji knew he had no chance of winning the debate.

"Oh alright then." He sighed. "But if I find him messing up my kitchen or playing with my utensils, I'll serve him up skinned and buttered."

"I think with conditions like that, he'll behave himself." Brook chuckled.

"Then it's decided. Chippy's now our latest crew-member as Nami's partner in crime and Hanako's animal companion!" Luffy proposed. The crew cheered as they raised their glasses to their latest member, Belle and Hanako both smiling at everyone.

"You know, Hanako. If our adventures are this exciting at this age…then I can't wait for how they're gonna be when we grow up." Belle smiled.

"I second to that, Sis." Hanako grinned. "And of course it won't just be the two of us now." He added scratching Chippy behind his ears. Through the course of just a day and a half, the two little pirates had conquered fears, faced danger, survived the wilderness and of course, made a new friend. It seemed the future had big plans for the children of the Straw-hats.

The end


	16. Pup Problems

Luffy rescues a little lost puppy and decides to look after it until its owner arrives, but Blizzard doesn't seem too keen on the pup taking all the attention from him. Just how much jealousy can this wolf-dog hold in?

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

* * *

It was a bright sunny day in the New World and Luffy was casually strolling down the street of the latest village the crew had arrived at. He was in a rather cheery mood today and not just because of the good weather. Nami had been feeling a bit down in the mouth due to the fact that they'd recently lost the chance of finding some treasure that Nami had obtained a map to. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, they found that the place where the treasure was had already been looted and not a berry in sight. Of course being the devoted future husband he was, Luffy wanted to cheer Nami up, so he set off to town to get her a gift and was therefore excited to see her smile when he gave it to her, as well as the big kiss she'd give him in return (and maybe something more~). As he paced his way down the cobbled street he thought to himself what she might like.

"Hmm. Clothes? Jewellery?...Meat? Nah! That's just silly. Maybe a flower? Ah screw it. It's the thought that counts so I'm sure she'll smile with whatever I give her." But he came to a stop when he suddenly heard a noise. **Yip! Yip! Yap!**

"Huh? What's that noise?" he said before he heard it again. **Yip! Yip! Awoooo~.** It seemed the noise was coming from a nearby alley, and it sounded sad, and slightly scared. Luffy wandered into the alley, until he spotted the source of the noise. Sitting in the alley and shaking like an autumn leaf, was a golden retriever puppy. When he spotted Luffy, he whined fearfully and crawled backwards from him.

"A puppy." Luffy said as he crouched down so he wouldn't look as intimidating. "It's okay, puppy. I won't hurt you. I'm a friend." He smiled as held out his hand to the pup. The little dog looked at it before he began to tentatively crawl towards it and took a few whiffs before he gently licked his palm. Luffy smile lovingly at the animal as he gently pet him on its head.

"Poor little guy. You look starved. I know how it feels to be hungry. Don't worry, you're safe now." The puppy seemed to understand him, for he barked happily and jumped at Luffy, knocking him over, and began to lick his face happily. "OK! OK! I GET IT~!" Luffy laughed as he pushed the pup off before scooping him up in his arms. "I'm gonna name you Peanut." The puppy tilted his head to one side, confused, which only made Luffy giggle. "Come on. Let's go get you some food."

XXX

"Just where is he?" Nami said as she paced the deck.

"He just said he was going into town, Nami. He'll be fine." Usopp said reassuringly.

"Even so, he should've let me know before he left, rather than just up and leaving without telling me." Nami said before she heard the clapping of a familiar pair of sandals. "Speak of the devil." She said before she turned with a smirk to see Luffy walking towards the ship. He was holding a small box in one hand and a basket in the other.

"Hi, Nami~!" he called.

"There you are. You've been gone all morning, Luffy. Why didn't you tell me you were going out?" Nami asked.

"Cause I wanted to surprise you." Luffy said as he held out the box.

"What's this?"

"Open it and find out." Nami looked at the box before she lifted the lid off and gasped when she saw a picture of her and Luffy on their first anniversary, the frame was studded with jewelled straw-hats and tangerines. "Luffy…"

"I wanted to cheer you up, cause you were acting all mopey when we didn't find that treasure. I know it's not mu-MMPH." Luffy was cut off by his fiancé's lips as she kissed him joyfully.

"I love it, Luffy. You're so generous and loving~!" she said happily as she hugged him.

"Just doing my job." Luffy grinned nuzzling his face against her hair.

"Don't worry. I'll give you a proper thank you this evening~." Nami then said seductively which made Luffy snicker.

"So what's in the basket?" Usopp asked, wanting to change the subject to something less awkward.

"Oh yeah! Could you get the rest of the crew out here? They all need to see this." Nami and Usopp nodded before they quickly gathered the remaining Straw-Hats.

"So what's the deal?" Zoro asked.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet." Luffy said before he opened the basket a crack and peered in. "You can come out now. Don't be shy." The crew looked puzzled for a moment, but soon gasped when Peanut poked his head out of the basket and tumbled over the top as he climbed out. The crew had to hold their breath at how cute the clumsy gesture was.

"Luffy…is that a puppy?" Sanji asked.

"No, it's a giraffe." Luffy said sarcastically.

"I know what it is!" Sanji snapped. "I mean why do you have a puppy with you?"

"I found him in town. He was alone and starving. I got him something to eat and then brought him here. I've named him Peanut." The little dog then noticed brook before he licked his lips and ran up to the skeleton before he began to gnaw on his leg, though having small teeth, he didn't seem to hurt the skeleton who laughed heartily.

"Yohohohoho~! I think the little one's still hungry." He chortled.

"HE'S ADORABLE~!" Nami swooned as she snatched up the pup and nuzzled him. Blizzard, seeing this immediately felt jealous. Even Chopper seemed a little envious since he was used to being the one who got cuddled by Nami.

"Luffy. You do know what's coming?" Zoro said. "We can't keep him. We already have a fine dog."

"_Thank you._" Blizzard said gratefully.

"But Zoro~" Nami whined.

"**SERIOUSLY?!**" Usopp, Franky and Brook all said in shock, over the fact that Nami was the one begging for a new member instead of Luffy this time.

"I'm afraid I'm with Moss-head on this one." Sanji spoke up. "Besides, can't you talk to him, Luffy? I thought you could understand animals cause of your Haki."

"I know, but he hasn't actually talked to me yet. He's very shy." Luffy explained. "Blizzard, how 'bout you talk to him?" the wolf-dog tensed slightly at the request, before he snorted and walked over reluctantly to Nami.

"_Ok, Pup. Who are you? Do you have a name?_" Peanut looked at Blizzard before he smiled at the wolf-dog.

"_My name's Hero._" he said.

"_Very funny. Come on, what's your name?_"

"_It's Hero._" the pup repeated. Blizzard raised an eyebrow at this.

"_Huh. Rather big-headed name if you ask me, but beggars can't be choosers I guess. He says his real name's Hero._" Blizzard said to Luffy.

"Hero? That's a unique name for a dog. Never would've named you it, that's for sure." Luffy muttered.

"Bet he's gonna grow up to be one strong dog with a name like that." Usopp grinned.

"But then if you have a name, then you must have an owner too, right?" Chopper asked.

"_I do. But I haven't been able to find him. We we're out for a walk and my owner went into a shop. He tied my leach to a post so I wouldn't run off. But while he was in the store, some kids started messing with me. They petted me too hard and tried to hug me. It was too much so I pulled myself free and ran off so they wouldn't smother me. But then I got lost, and I couldn't find my owner. He's probably worried sick about me._" Luffy looked sadly at Hero who sniffled.

"How long have you been lost?" he asked.

"_About four days. And I can't remember where my home is. I hate to say it, but I have a terrible sense of direction._"

"Bad sense of direction? I know someone who could sympathise with you on that." Luffy snickered.

"Hey!" Zoro barked.

"Well don't worry, Hero. We'll help you." Chopper said.

"_You will?!_"

"Sure. Usopp could make 'Found dog' posters and we could paste them over town. Then your owner can come here and collect you." Luffy said.

"And until then, you'll stay with us." Nami said, giving him a reassuring squeeze. Hero barked joyfully and licked her face, making her giggle and kiss him on his muzzle, sending another surge of envy through Blizzard. It seems he wasn't going to like this puppy.

XXX

When it was time for dinner and the crew were going about the usual routine of talking, eating and swatting at Luffy's hands, Hero was eating his meal next to Blizzard who hadn't spoken to the pup since the morning.

"_So what's it like on the sea?_" Hero asked.

"_Free._" Blizzard replied. "_No limits, no boundaries, no walls. Just freedom._"

"_Wow~. Also Chopper said you're his big brother, right? Even though he's a reindeer?_"

"_I don't care what sort of animal he is. I still love Chopper and he'll always be my little brother._"

"_I've always wanted a brother. Hey! You can be my brother!_" Hero said, putting his paws up on Blizzard's leg.

"_What?! No!_"

"_Why not?_"

"_For one, I hardly know you. Two, you're not going to be here for long. And three, you can't just become brothers that quickly._"

"Sure you can." Luffy spoke up.

"_What are you talking about, Luffy?_" Blizzard asked.

"When I first met Ace he didn't want anything to do with me because I kept following him around asking him to be my brother."

"_Seriously?!_"

"Yep. It was only after he and Sabo saved me from Bluejam's men when I refused to talk that we became brothers cause he trusted me and was so impressed that I took all those hits for him."

"_Even so, Hero can't just become my brother. I don't even like him._" Blizzard argued.

"Yeah you will. You guys are gonna be great friends. We're all friends here."

"_YOU CAN'T DECIDE WHO MY FRIENDS AND BROTHERS ARE! LOOK AT SANJI AND ZORO!_" Blizzard roared in frustration and shock.

"_YAY~! You're gonna be my big brother~!_" Hero cheered and he jumped onto Blizzard's back and playfully nipped his ear.

"_Get off me you runt!_" Blizzard barked as he tried to shake the puppy off his head.

"Hey take it outside! You're gonna make a mess!" Sanji said. Blizzard growled before he ran out of the kitchen with Hero still clinging to his head.

"_I said GET OFF!_" he barked until he eventually managed to throw Hero off who rolled across the grassy deck, before getting up unharmed.

"_AGAIN~!_" he laughed.

"_I'm not playing with you, Pup!_" Blizzard snapped. "_Now just leave me alone and let me finish my dinner!_" He added before he went back into the kitchen leaving Hero alone and rather puzzled.

XXX

After dinner, the crew retired for the night and as Blizzard climbed into his basket, he saw Chopper and hero come trotting in. He smiled.

"_Hop in, little bro._" he said. Both small animals smiled before Hero bounded into the basket and snuggled up against Blizzard's side. "_What the hell are you doing?_"

"_You said hop in, big brother._"

"_I was talking to Chopper! And I'm not your brother._" Blizzard said before shoving Hero out of the basket with his hind leg.

"Come on, Blizzard. Don't be like that. I don't mind sharing." Chopper said as he picked up the puppy.

"_Chopper…_" Blizzard tried to say.

"Really, I don't mind. I like Hero." the puppy yipped happily at this before he leaped out of Chopper's arms and ran back into the basket, making Blizzard snort grumpily.

"_Ugh, fine. But no cuddling, ok Kid?_" he said. Hero whined sadly before curling up into a ball in the basket, before he felt a pair of hooves wrap around him.

"It's okay, Hero. You can cuddle me." Chopper smiled.

"_Thanks, Chopper!_" Hero said happily as he nuzzled Chopper affectionately. Blizzard sneered at the sight of the pup cuddling his little brother before he eventually fell asleep trying to forget the image.

XXX

The next morning, Usopp went down to his factory to start making posters for Hero. The aforementioned golden retriever was currently curled up in Nami's lap while she relaxing on deck reading. She gently rubbed her thumb against the back of one of his ears, making him whine happily and roll onto his back, practically begging her to rub his fluffy tummy, which of course she did joyfully.

"You are just too cute~!" she squealed as she rubbed his stomach, until he jumped up at her and licked her face, making her laugh even more. But then Luffy showed up and was holding a red ball in his hand.

"Hey, Hero! Let's go play fetch!" he said with a grin.

"_YEAH!_" the puppy cheered as he leapt down from Nami's lap and chased after the ball, which Luffy had just thrown. They continued the back and forth routine for a few minutes until Blizzard showed up, after having taken a nap with Zoro but when he saw what hero had in his mouth…it didn't please him. Not, one, bit.

"_Hey!_" he barked aging the pair's attention.

"_Hi, Blizzard. Wanna play?_" Hero asked.

"_No! And what are you doing with my favourite red ball?!_"

"_Luffy wanted to play fetch._" Hero replied.

"_Well couldn't you have had the decency to ask me first?!_" Blizzard then said to Luffy.

"Jeez, Blizzard. It's only a ball." Luffy said which caused the wolf-dog to drop his jaw.

"_Don't you remember how important that ball is?! That's the ball my old Master played with me with when he first adopted me! Next to my charm, that's my second greatest possession he gave to me!_"

"I'm sorry, Blizzard. I didn't know it was that important to you. Look we'll stop if-" Luffy began.

"_No. Just, carry on._" Blizzard muttered before trudging off. Hero felt rather bad for the wolf-dog so he ran after him.

"_Come on, Blizzard, don't be mad. It's not like it got lost or anything._"

"_You don't understand, Pup. What if Luffy woke up and found me running around on deck wearing his hat. Do you think he'd be happy I just put it on without asking?_"

"_Probably not._" Hero murmured.

"_No. Look, just go back and play with Luffy._" Blizzard said.

"_Won't you play with me?_" Hero pleaded.

"_No._" Blizzard said bluntly as he carried on without the golden retriever. Of course the real reason he was angry wasn't all because Hero had played with his favourite ball, but because he was playing with Luffy the same way Blizzard played with him and it made him even more jealous of the puppy than he was yesterday.

"_He's just a kid, Blizzard. He doesn't understand._" He thought to himself. "_Just be patient. He's not gonna be around much longer. If you get anymore jealous you're gonna do something you'll regret. And the last thing you want is to get yelled at by the crew._" By this point he'd reached the galley and could smell something truly tasty. What was it? Only his very favourite biscuit in the world. That's right. Sanji was making some peanut butter cookies, which the blond chef had just taken out of the oven. He then put them in a bowl so he could let the whole crew have some. Noticing Blizzard he laughed.

"Ok, Blizz. Beg~." He said teasingly as he held one of the cookies out of reach. Blizzard snorted angrily at the gesture earning another laugh form Sanji. "Kidding, here you go, but no more. The rest are for the crew, ok?" He said as he scratched the wolf-dog behind the ears before putting three of the cookies in Blizzard's food bowl. Blizzard licked his lips as he padded over to the bowl, but just as he was about to take a bite…

"_This would go good with some milk._" He thought before he went back to Sanji to get some, but that's when an uninvited guest came in and spotted the snack, his eyes growing hungry instantly and as Blizzard turned back around, he dropped the bowl of milk he was carrying. There was Hero, licking up the last few crumbs from Blizzard's food bowl. It didn't even take an idiot to see what had just happened.

"_YOU!_" Blizzard roared, making both hero and Sanji jump. "_WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!_"

"_Ha...having a snack?_" Hero said quietly.

"_Those were mine!_" Blizzard said angrily.

"_But…I was just hungry and…they were just lying around._" Hero tried to say.

"_Yeah. But in WHO'S BOWL, smartass?!_"

"_Y-Yours?_"

"_YES! Now I can't have any cause you've eaten them all!_"

"_But-But Sanji could just make more._"

"_Oh-no-no Sanji does not just 'make more'. He's strict about snacks. He only makes them when he chooses to and he's not gonna just bake another batch just for my sake! Thanks a lot, Kid! God I just cannot catch a break!_" Blizzard cursed before storming off yet again.

XXX

Blizzard decided to just go for another nap after Hero ate his peanut butter cookies. He just didn't want to be anywhere near the pup right now or he'd surely snap. But it was then that the door opened to reveal Luffy and Chopper who looked concerned.

"Blizzard? Are you awake?" Luffy asked. The wolf-dog decided not to reply. "Blizzard, we need to talk to you…about Hero." Blizzard sighed before he opened his eyes.

"We're concerned that you don't like him. You won't play with him or spend time with him. You haven't even smiled at him." Chopper said.

"_Well it doesn't matter. He's not sticking around forever so what do my feeling matter?_"

"Blizzard. This isn't like you. What reason could you have not to like Hero?" Luffy asked.

"_Oh I can think of a good few, but I don't wanna keep him waiting to play with you two._" Blizzard snorted.

"Wait. Blizzard?...Are you jealous of Hero?" Chopper asked.

"_No! Of course not!_"

"That's it, isn't it?! You're jealous of Hero!" Luffy confirmed.

"_Fine! Maybe I am!_" Blizzard admitted back.

"Blizzard, just because we've been spending time with Hero, doesn't mean we don't want to spend time with you anymore." Chopper said. "You're still my big brother."

"And I'm still your Master." Luffy grinned before he and Chopper hugged him. "And the crew still care too. They're not gonna neglect you." Blizzard felt happy hearing this and he smiled as Luffy and Chopper pulled away from him. "So, do you think you can try and get along with Hero?"

"_I'll…try…_" Blizzard said.

"Good, cause we're going into town now to pin up the posters Usopp made. So you're on guard duty, and keep an eye on Hero until we get back. Can you do that?" Luffy instructed.

"_Sure._" Blizzard smiled as he got up and followed Luffy and Chopper onto the deck where they found the rest of the crew.

"Come on you two, we've gotta get these posters put up." Nami called to Luffy and Chopper who ran up to her. "Alright, Blizzard. Keep the ship safe and make sure nothing happens to Hero." she then said to the wolf-dog who nodded.

"See you later, Blizzard." Luffy said as he and the crew made their way into town.

"_So it's just you and me?_" Hero asked.

"_Yeah. Look you can go off and play, but just don't make a mess, don't break anything and especially; don't, leave, the ship._" Blizzard instructed.

"_I won't._" Hero barked before he scampered off. Blizzard watched the puppy dash off before he began his patrol of the ship. After he'd finished his patrol, he decided to take a nap on deck, just so he wouldn't be far off from Hero. After about half an hour Blizzard woke up to the annoying sound of barking and squawking. He looked up to see hero chasing some seagulls around the deck. Rolling his eyes, Blizzard decided to leave the pup be, but it was only a few moments later that his eyes widened in shock. Hero had run up to the front of the ship and was getting ready to pounce on the birds that were currently perched on the railing.

"_Uh-oh._" He said before Hero took a flying leap at the birds…and over the railing. "_CRAP!_" Blizzard panicked before he dashed forward and managed to grab Hero by his scruff before he could hit the water. "_You crazy Pup! You could've drowned!_" he scolded.

"_I'm sorry, Blizzard. You saved me, thank you._" Hero said.

"_Never mind. Now just don't let it happen a-_"

"BLIZZARD!" the wolf dog jumped and nearly dropped Hero form the sudden shout he heard. He turned to see the crew standing at the front of the ship in utter shock and anger.

"_Guys?_" Blizzard asked confused.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Nami shouted as she snatched Hero away from Blizzard.

"_I-I…_" Blizzard tried to say.

"How could you try and throw Hero overboard?!" Luffy exclaimed.

"_WHAT?!_" Blizzard said in utter bewilderment.

"Oh don't you try and act all innocent!" Nami said, seemingly understand what the wolf-dog had said. "We know how jealous you've been of Hero. We could handle you refusing to like him, but THIS?!"

"_But I didn't-I would never-_" Blizzard tried to defend himself again but just couldn't get the words out due to his shock.

"I thought you were better than this, Blizzard!" Usopp said angrily.

"SUPER harsh, Snowy!" Franky said just as shocked.

"You know Hero's just as puppy. He'd drown if he fell in the sea!" Chopper scolded. All the while blizzard felt his heart tear at the sight and sound of his family scolding him. He hated getting shouted at, but being accused was even worse. He stared at them, before his eyes began to water and he sprinted off the ship and into town.

"_Blizzard! No come back!_" Hero called as he scrambled out of Nami's arms and chased after Blizzard.

"Hero where are you going?!" Luffy asked.

XXX

"Blizzard~!" Hero called as he ran through the town searching for the wolf-dog. But he suddenly spotted a flash of white in a nearby empty street. "BLIZZARD!" Hero cried as he ran after him. The wolf-dog must have heard him as he began to quicken his pace.

"Blizzard! Wait up!" Hero called as he followed him. "The guys just misunderstood! Come back to the ship, we'll explain everything."

"NO!" Blizzard thundered as he turned around and faced the puppy with a truly ferocious face. "I've, had, ENOUGH ALREADY!" Hero shrank back in fear at the wolf-dog's anger. "You've been nothing but trouble to me since you got here!" Blizzard continued as he padded towards Hero who padded back in fear. "Luffy and Chopper spent all their time with you! You bothered me while I was napping! You played with my favourite red ball without permission! You ate my peanut butter cookies! And NOW, thanks to your recklessness, the whole crew thinks I tried throwing you overboard! Whenever I'm near you I always get the wrong end of the stick! SO STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Blizzard roared.

"But…bi-big broth-" Hero whimpered.

"And for the last time…I AM NOT YOUR BROTHER! And I never will be! So GET LOST YOU WASTE OF FUR!" Hero stared in horror at the wolf-dog as his eyes welled up to the brim, before with a sad howl he ran off in tears, leaving Blizzard behind panting. But it was only after a few deep breaths that the white hound realised his mistake and his face filled with fear and guilt. "Oh god. What have I done?! KID~!" Blizzard yelled as he ran after the puppy. Hero ran as fast as his paws could carry him, but when he heard Blizzard calling him, he thought the wolf-dog was only coming after him to beat him up, so he hid behind some boxes in an ally as he saw Blizzard run past him. The puppy sniffled and sobbed when he was certain he was alone. He'd never felt so rejected and heartbroken in all his life. But as he was about to try and make his way back to the ship, he felt a shadow loom over him.

"Well, well, well." a voice said. Hero tensed before he looked behind him to see a really tall and gruff man standing before him. He wore a tan tracksuit and a red cap and was holding a big net. "Looks like we've got ourselves a runt today." He grinned before he swung his net down on Hero.

XXX

"KID~! PUP~! ANSWER ME~!" Blizzard called as he searched for Hero. Now of course he could have used his nose to track his scent, but because Blizzard was in such a remorseful panic, the idea didn't come to him. **AWOOOOO~!** The wolf-dog stopped when he heard a frightened little howl a few blocks back. Blizzard immediately knew who it was, but as he ran back to the alley all he could see was a wagon being towed off down the street and he could just see a small animal pressing its paws against the wire gate and howling.

"HELP! HEEEEEEEEEELLLLP!" the puppy cried. It was none other than Hero. It didn't take long for Blizzard to realise where the wagon was taking the pup.

"Oh hell no…" he breathed in fear before he took off after the wagon. He had to get Hero back at all costs, or else the crew may not ever see him the same way again.

XXX

And sure enough, as Blizzard followed the wagon, he saw it pull up to a nearby dog pound. The wagon made its way through the wire gate before coming to a stop. The driver got down from the seat before he opened the gate and pulled Hero out by his scruff and took him inside the building.

"Bastard." Blizzard growled, before he dashed towards the fence and cleared it easily in one leap. But he didn't have time to catch a breath as two large guard dogs came hurtling towards him snarling. Blizzard sighed irritably. He could tell just by looking at them that these dogs were nothing but bark. And he pretty much cemented this assumption with a single piercing glare which caused the dogs to come to a grinding halt and press themselves (and their ears and guts) low to the ground, whimpering. He didn't even need his Haki.

"Tch. Wimps." He snorted before he made his way into the building. He found himself in a small maze of corridors, the walls lined with cell upon cell of dogs. Blizzard sniffed at the air and grunted. There were so many different thick scents of canine that he couldn't filter Hero out from them all. He passed by the cells quietly, ignoring any snarls and curses from the rabid dogs.

"LET EM OUT! LET ME OUT YOU SON OF A BITCH!" one snarled at Blizzard with a foamy mouth.

"Yes I am actually." Blizzard replied nonchalantly as he continued on past another cell that contained an elderly Labrador, a German Shepherd about his age and a young Malamute with a bandaged ankle. He was wearing a paper cone around his head because of the injury.

"The cone of shame. Rough." Blizzard said pitifully which gained the three dogs attention.

"HEY! HEY GET US OUTTA HERE!" The Malamute said.

"I wish I could but I'm here to save a friend. Sorry." Blizzard said.

"Now hold on there, boy." The old Labrador said. "Maybe we can help you. Just who are you looking for?"

"A golden retriever puppy. He just got here a second ago, but I can't find his scent in amongst all these other ones." Blizzard explained.

"All pups go to sector three. That's next door to this one. Look please, you've gotta help us, man! We have owners to get back to!" the German Shepherd said.

"Look I'm not looking for a fight, but I really hate that excuse." Blizzard glared.

"No he's serious!" the Malamute defended. "We all have owners. The guys who run this joint are idiots. They thought we were all strays cause we got lost. I'm terrified of needles so after my ankle was treated I ran away before the vet could give me my shot. I was lost for a few hours before the pound nabbed me. I've been here for three days. And with the way I look I'm bound to get the big sleep any day now!"

"I was playing with my master at the park one day. He threw my ball but I chased it too far into the woods. I fell down a hill and got my leg stuck under a branch and by the time I was free I couldn't find my master. Same story from there." The German Shepherd said.

"And as for me, my master got pretty drunk after a night at the bar so as we were going home, he slumped against one of the buildings to throw up and it was then that pound came passing by. They assumed my master was a tramp since he was drunk and puking so they nabbed me on the spot before he could notice. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but we have to get back to our homes. Our owners are probably worried sick about us." the Labrador said. Blizzard looked at the three dogs sadly. He understood completely what they were going through. The sour memory of himself being locked in one of these godforsaken places loomed in his head. How could he say no to these three? After all they did have families to get back to and maybe they would be able to help him.

"Alright. I'll bust you out, but you better not slow me down or get us busted. I have to get that pup out of here." He said.

"We won't, we promise, and thank you." The Malamute said as Blizzard bit the lock off the door like tin foil and the three dogs made their way out.

"Come on. We know where the pup is." The German Shepherd said before the three dogs took off with Blizzard right behind them.

"By the way, you might as well tell me your names." The wolf-dog said.

"Oh yeah. I'm Samuel." The German Shepherd introduced himself.

"I'm Rolf." The Malamute said.

"And my name's Den." The Labrador answered. "What's yours, boy?"

"It's Blizzard." Blizzard replied which caused the dogs to stop immediately.

"You…you don't mean White Wolf Blizzard? Demon dog Blizzard?! Hellhound Blizzard?! With a bounty of 350,000?! The dog of the Straw-hat Pirates?!" Rolf said in complete awe.

"Yeah…that's me." Blizzard said, a little puzzled.

"Unbelievable! You're a legend around here!" Samuel said in sheer admiration.

"SHHHH. Keep it down, or you're gonna alert the guard." Blizzard hissed.

"Rolf was louder." Samuel muttered.

"I don't care. Let's just get to sector three." Blizzard said.

XXX

In one of the holding cells in sector three, Hero was curled up in a little ball, sobbing. And with him were twenty-nine more puppies of all breeds.

"It's all over." Hero sniffled. "I'm gonna be stuck here forever. The crew don't know where I am and Blizzard hates me. He's never gonna come after me. I…It's not fair!" he wept "I'll never see my family again!"

"Hey. You can't give up hope. You at least have a family to get back to." A Dalmatian puppy spoke up.

"Yeah. We were all sent here cause our parent's owners couldn't take care of us." a Pit-bull pup added.

"We'd do anything to have family of our own." An Alsatian puppy said sadly.

"So you shouldn't give up on getting back to yours." Said a Beagle puppy. Hero looked at the four puppies, but then he suddenly heard the sound of several pairs of paws heading their way.

"Kid." A voice whispered loudly. "Pup. Answer me." Hero's ears perked up, recognising the voice.

"Blizzard?" he said hopefully. Apparently the source of the voice heard him as it came galloping towards his cell before stopping in front of the gate. "BLIZZARD~!" Hero cried joyfully with his paws up against the gate as he saw the wolf-dog smile at him.

"Good to see your still alive, Kid." He said. "I found him guys." he then added before Rolf, Samuel and Den.

"Den? Rolf? Samuel?!" Hero said in shock.

"HERO?!" the three dogs aid in equal surprise.

"You know each other?!" Blizzard asked.

"Do we ever! This pup lives on the same street as we do." Den said.

"So you're all from the same street?" Blizzard asked in surprise.

"That's right." Rolf confirmed.

"What are the odds?" Blizzard rolled his eyes. "But enough talk. We're busting you out of here, Pup." He said before biting off the lock and opening the gate until Hero ran at him and hugged his leg.

"I thought you were never gonna come." He sniffled.

"Hey come on. I'm not just gonna abandon you." Blizzard said patting the little dog on the head. "Look we'll talk when we get back to the ship, so let's go."

"Yeah!" Hero cheered.

"Wait!" a voice said before the group could take off. They turned to see the Dalmatian puppy standing in front of the other twenty-nine puppies.

"Oh no. Nope, nah-ah, uh-uh. I am not taking twenty-nine puppies with me. I already busted these four out and I've had more than enough of puppies for one day." Blizzard said.

"Please, Mister Blizzard. You have to take us too." The Dalmatian pleaded putting on her cutest puppy-face.

"And then what?! You can't stay with me and the crew. Luffy and Nami won't allow it. And you don't even wanna know about Sanji's protectiveness of his kitchen."

"Then…maybe you can help us get new homes." The Alsatian puppy suggested.

"Yeah! You could hand us out to anyone who needs a new dog." The Pit-bull puppy said.

"Please. We can't stay here." The Beagle puppy begged. The rest of the puppies then began to beg the wolf-dog who rapidly turned his head to each of their attention, unable to keep track.

"Alright! Fine you can come, but stay close to me. We have to get out of here now." Blizzard said. The puppies nodded before they followed after Blizzard and the group. But as they dashed back through the sector where Blizzard freed Rolf, Samuel and Den, the dogs began to bark even more, begging to be let out.

"Shut up!" Blizzard hissed loudly. "If you keep making noise you're gonna alert the-"

"HEY!"

"Crap." Blizzard muttered before he turned his head to see the guard who took Hero standing behind them at the end of the corridor.

"Busted." Rolf said.

"LEG IT!" Samuel barked before the group took off with the guard in hot pursuit. The group of dogs dashed out of the pound and into the courtyard. The two guard dogs, seeing Blizzard, immediately whimpered and ran off like the mice they were. The guard watched the dogs make a dash for the gate, but that's when he recognised Blizzard.

"Damn! I'll never be able to catch those mutts. But at least I can peg White Wolf in the back." He grinned before he pulled out a pistol from the holster on his belt. Hero, at that moment, looked over his shoulder to see if they were home free yet, but when he saw the guard aim for Blizzard, he gasped.

"BLIZZARD LOOK OUT!" he cried before he tackled Blizzard in the side knocking him away. For as small as he was, it was a marvel that the puppy managed to knock the large wolf-dog aside, but no sooner had he done this...**BANG!** The dogs and puppies stopped instantly when they heard the gunshot followed by a yelp. Blizzard, having regained his footing after Hero had tackled him, turned to the source of the howl and his heart stopped. Hero lay on the ground, motionless and a small puddle of blood was seeping from his back. The very sight of the puppy that Blizzard had shown nothing but envy, take a bullet for him, made the wolf-dog's heart break and his anger boil over. He turned his cherry blossom pink eyes to the guard who instantly tensed from the hound's fierce glare. With a ferocious growl Blizzard charged at the guard who tried shooting at him several times, but the white hound easily dodged the bullets before he pinned the guard to the ground, baring his fangs.

"EYE OF THE HELLHOUND!" Blizzard roared before his pupils expanded as he looked straight into the guard's eyes which proceeded to roll back in his skull before the man passed out cold, mouth foaming. "Bastard's gonna need to get a new job when he wakes up." Blizzard sneered, until his eyes widened.

"Oh god, Kid!" Blizzard cried before he ran back to Hero who was being looked over by the other dogs. Blizzard pushed his way through as he looked at the puppy in horror. "Pup! Come on say something! Anything! Hero! Can you hear me?!" he cried, tears trying to fill his eyes. The golden retriever lay motionless on the ground before he twitched and coughed a few times.

"B…Blizzard…?"

"HERO! YOU'RE ALIVE!" Blizzard cried happily.

"The bullet just grazed his back." Den said as he looked at the wound. "He's got to be the luckiest pup I've met." Hero at this point tried to get up but fell back down.

"Don't walk. You need rest right now, Hero." Blizzard said before he gently picked the puppy up by his scruff and put him on his back. "Just hold on tight."

"Are…you ok?" Hero asked.

"I'm fine…thanks to you." Blizzard smiled before the group finally made their way out and home free.

XXX

"No sign of them, guys." Sanji said who'd just arrived back with Robin and brook from their search.

"Where on earth are they?!" Nami said worriedly.

"It's our fault this happened." Chopper said guiltily. "If we hadn't shouted at Blizzard he wouldn't have ran off."

"I'm starting to think we jumped to conclusions." Zoro said.

"Oh, you think?" Sanji said.

"But yes, you're right, Zoro. How could we accuse Blizzard of trying to throw Hero off the boat? We know he's not a savage." Robin said.

"I just wish he'd come back so I could say sorry." Luffy sniffed. For those who don't know, Blizzard and Hero had been gone for over five hours. The pound was at the other end of the island so Blizzard had to run a long way. But then all of a sudden, the crew heard the sound of barking coming up one of the streets.

"Blizzard?!" Luffy said hopefully.

"I'll check." Usopp said as he walked to the street and looked round the corner only to yelp in surprise when he saw a stampeded of puppies accompanied by Blizzard, Rolf, Samuel and Den and perched on Blizzard's back was Hero. Usopp, not wanting to be trampled by a hundred and thirty-two paws, screamed and dashed back to the ship.

"STAMPEDE~!" he yelled as the crew looked up in surprise to see the crowd of canine come dashing towards the ship.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Zoro yelled.

"Puppies galore!" Franky gaped.

"BLIZZARD~!" Chopper cried joyfully when he saw his big brother.

"AND HERO!" Nami said joyfully.

"Um, guys? I think they're headed right for us!" Usopp shouted before the group of dogs charged onto the deck all barking happily. They jumped at all of the Straw-hats nuzzling and licking them as much as they could.

"Where'd they all come from?!" Sanji asked as some of the puppies jumped up at him playfully.

"I don't know, but they sure are fun!" Luffy laughed as some of them tugged on his rubbery limbs as he held one in his arms which licked his face happily.

"A LITTLE HELP PLEASE?!" Brook moaned, who was covered from head to toe in puppies gnawing on his bones, and some were poking their heads out of his afro. FWEEEEEEEEET~! The crowd of dogs immediately stopped barking when a high pitched whistle sounded throughout the deck, before all heads turned to see Nami holding a dog whistle in her hand. She sighed before facing Blizzard.

"Blizzard? What in the wide, wide new World is going on?!" Nami ordered before all heads turned to the wolf-dog who sighed and took a deep breath.

XXX

The crew stood around Blizzard and Hero who'd just finished explaining everything that had happened. The latter had a small bandage around him back after having his graze treated. Luffy, who currently had four puppies in his lap, stood up and walked over to Blizzard before he pulled him into a hug.

"I'm sorry, buddy. I'm sorry I accused you and jumped to conclusions." He sniffed slightly. "Can you forgive me?" Blizzard shook Luffy off before he grinned.

"_Does this answer your question?_" he snickered before **SLLLUUUURP!** He gave Luffy a big wet doggy kiss on the face making the young man laugh and hug him again.

"ME NEXT~!" Chopper cheered before running up to Blizzard who licked him too.

"Come on! Group hug for Blizzard!" Nami smiled before the crew surrounded the wolf-dog in a group hug.

"We're sorry Blizz." Usopp grinned.

"We'll never doubt you again, Snowy~!" Franky sobbed.

"So we cool?" Sanji asked.

"_Yeah, we cool, Sanji._" Blizzard grinned.

"But…what about them?" Zoro asked as the crew looked at the puppies and three dogs.

"Hmmm…I think I have an idea." Nami smiled.

XXX

Nami smiled proudly, flicking through a thick wad of berries. It seemed that Blizzard had kept his promise to the puppies, for Nami had suggested putting the puppies up for adoption. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper had gone around with signs and soon managed to draw a crowd to the ship before all twenty-nine of the puppies were adopted and off to new homes.

"Well, those little angels really made us quite a tidy sum." Nami grinned.

"But now it's just Hero, Samuel, Den and Rolf." Chopper said.

"Well it's just a matter of waiting for them." Luffy said who was currently playing fetch with Samuel. "Besides, they all live on the same street, so when Hero's owner arrives, he can take them with him."

"Where is Hero anyway?" Chopper asked.

"_He's spending some quality time with a friend._" Samuel replied. For at the other end of the deck, Blizzard was lying down on the grass with Hero curled up next to him.

"_Hero,_" Blizzard spoke, gaining the pup's attention. "_I…I'm sorry. For everything._"

"_It's ok, Blizzard._" Hero said.

"_No it's not ok! Ever since you got here I've just been mean to you. If it wasn't for me you would've never got caught._"

"_But then if I hadn't got caught you wouldn't have saved the others. You're my hero bi…I mean Blizzard._"

"_…No. I was wrong._" Blizzard said before pulling the puppy into a soft embrace. "_After I yelled at you I felt so horrible about what I'd done. And when you got shot I felt even worse. And that's when I realised…even if you're not part of our crew. Even if we've barely known each other…I still feel responsible for you and for that…I think you are my little brother._" Hero couldn't believe his ears form what he'd just heard. But his eyes soon began to water before he buried his face in Blizzard's fur.

"_I…I love you big brother._" He sobbed.

"_I love you too, little brother._" Blizzard smiled as the crew watched the two dogs proudly.

"You're not jealous, are you, Chopper?" Luffy asked.

"Nah. I know Blizzard still loves me, and besides He's not my only big brother, remember?" Chopper said as he grinned at Luffy, who grinned back and ruffled his fur. But at that moment they heard the sound of footsteps approaching the ship. They turned to see a man, in his late twenties approaching the ship. He had short black hair and brown eyes and was holding Hero's poster.

"Excuse me? I'm looking for a golden Retriever puppy." He said.

"You're hero's owner?" Luffy asked.

"Yes I am. Is he here?! Please tell me he is!" the man said hopefully.

"Don't worry. He's safe and sound." Nami smiled. "Hero~! Someone's here to see you~!" she then called. Hero let go of Blizzard and ran to the group before he noticed the person in front of him.

"HERO!" the man cried happily before the aforementioned puppy leaped into his arms.

"_MICHAEL~!_" Hero wept happily as he licked his master's face joyfully.

"Thank god you're alright. I thought I'd lost you for good!" the man now named Michael said as he hugged Hero, the straw-hat's admiring the happy reunion. But that was when he noticed the other dogs.

"Den, Rolf, Samuel?! What are you three doing here?!" he asked surprised.

"Our dog, Blizzard rescued them from the pound, along with Hero. I take it their owners are just as worried as you were about him." Luffy explained.

"Well they won't be worried much longer." Michael smiled. "Come on you three. Let's get you home." But just as he was about to leave, Hero scrambled out of his arms and ran to hug Blizzard.

"_I'll miss you._" He sniffled.

"_Hey come on, no tears. It's not goodbye. We'll see each other again. That's a promise._" Blizzard smiled as returned the hug, before Hero got a hug/kiss/pet from the rest of the crew and trotted back to Michael along with Rolf, Den and Samuel.

"_We can't thank you enough, Blizzard._" Rolf said.

"_We owe you our lives, literally._" Samuel grinned.

"_We just wish we could return the favour._" Den said.

"_Hey, knowing you guys are gonna be back with your families is all I need._" Blizzard smiled before the four dogs followed Michael off down the street.

"_BLIZZARD~!_" Hero called back. "_SEE YOU SOON, BIG BROTHER!_"

"_SOONER THAN YA THINK, LITTLE BROTHER~!_" Blizzard called back.

"Thanks again, Straw-hats!" Michael called. "Until next time!" before the group rounded the corner and disappeared.

"Well they're off." Usopp said simply.

"Yep. I'm just glad he's happy." Nami smiled.

"I'm gonna miss the little furball~!" Franky sobbed.

"But changing the subject, FOOD SANJI!" Luffy called.

"As always." Sanji rolled his eyes before heading to the kitchen to begin dinner, the rest of he crew close behind until only Luffy, Chopper and Blizzard were left.

"You know, Blizzard. Even if it you're big as a horse…you'll always be a puppy to me, buddy." Luffy grinned as he hugged Blizzard.

"And me too!" Chopper smiled and wrapped his hooves around Blizzard as well. The white wolf-dog himself felt his heart swell with warmth as he returned their hug before they went to join the rest of the crew but not before Blizzard gave one last farewell howl to Hero and his ears could just pick up the sound of his new little brother howling back to him.

The End


	17. A Hit Too Far

When Luffy gets into another accident, Nami ends up taking her anger out on him a little too far, and the consequences may cost the two Straw Hats their bond.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

* * *

A.N. (This takes place before the time skip and before Luffy and Nami started dating, but after Thriller being that the premise of this story would very likely not be possible if they were a couple at this point.)

* * *

The Thousand Sunny was gently making her way across the cobalt blue to her next destination as a soft wind blew across the lawn deck, where Luffy was currently taking a small nap. He hummed contentedly as the breeze tickled his skin, before he yawned and stretched.

"Nice nap." He said to himself as he sat up. "I wonder if Usopp and Chopper are up for fishing?" as he got to his feet he was about to head off to look for his friends when he noticed Robin coming out of the aquarium bar, carrying a large stack of books with her. "Hi, Robin." He greeted the archaeologist.

"Oh hello Luffy." She smiled.

"That's a lot of books there." Luffy commented.

"Yes, I was just taking them back to the library." Robin said. "Though they are a tad heavy. Maybe it would be better if I took them back in smaller piles."

"Oh let me, Robin. I can handle it." Luffy said as he took the stack of books with ease.

"Thank you very much, Luffy. That's very helpful of you." Robin smiled gratefully.

"It's no trouble at all, Robin." Luffy grinned as he made his way to the library. Upon arriving he noticed an empty space on the bookshelf. He took the ladder over to it and began to make his way up, while carefully holding the pile of book close to his chest so he wouldn't drop any of them. But as he reached the top of the ladder, it was at that moment that the Sunny hit a wave causing the ship to rock. Luffy desperately clung to the ladder so he wouldn't fall, but dropped the books in the process. He gasped and stretched his body back and managed to catch them.

"Phew. That was close." He sighed, but that was when he noticed due to the weight of his top half leaning away from the ladder and the weight of the books, he was about to fall. But as he tried to pull himself back up the Sunny hit a second wave, and that, was what sent him over the edge. As Luffy fell from the ladder, still clutching the books, he noticed that he was headed straight for Nami's mapping desk.

"NOT GOOD!" Luffy yelled in panic, but he didn't have time to stretch his arm up to grab the ladder before he collided with the deck with a **Crash!** and a **Splash!** It didn't take long before one of the crew came to investigate the noise; in this case, it was Usopp.

"Luffy!" he said in shock upon seeing his friend surrounded by books, quills and the shattered remains of the mapping desk. What's more Luffy himself was now spattered with ink and stars were swirling around his head form the slight concussion he'd gained from the fall.

"Luffy are you okay?!" Usopp asked as he helped him up.

"I think so." Luffy groaned as he rubbed his head.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"I was just putting some books back for Robin, but the ship hit a wave and I fell. I'm just glad I didn't ruin Robin's books."

"Um…you might wanna turn around, Lu." Usopp grimaced as he pointed over Luffy's shoulder. The Captain turned around and immediately turned pale upon seeing the wreckage of Nami's base of operations. Next to her tangerine grove her mapping corner was her next most precious belonging.

"Ohhh fffuuuuuudge." Luffy whimpered, his eyes actually beginning to sting with tears of fear.

"You better hide before the she-demon sees what you've done to her throne." Usopp said rather scared as well.

"HIDE ME!" Luffy cried as he hugged Usopp. "She won't listen to reason after she sees this. I'm finished!"

"Ok, don't panic. I'll hide you in the factory and then tell Nami-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHH~!" the pair instantly froze before tentatively turning their heads to see none other than the orange-haired navigator standing in the doorway, her hands on her head in absolute shock upon what she was seeing, before her eyes very slowly turned to Luffy, since it was pretty difficult not to notice the ink all over him.

"Usopp?" Luffy asked in the hopes the sniper had a backup plan, but instead found his friend saluting him with tears on his face.

"You were a magnificent Captain and a true friend to me, Luffy." He sniffed. "I'll never forget you and promise to uphold your position in your stride."

"WHAT?!" Luffy squawked.

"GODSPEED, YOU MAGINIFCENT BASTARD~!" Usopp wailed as he ran away with his arm over his eyes leaving streams of dramatic tears behind him.

"Come back here ya coward! DON'T LEAVE ME!" Luffy cried. "USOPP, YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"

"Oh I highly doubt it's Usopp who's going to be a dead man." Luffy turned at the sound of Nami's intimidating voice, as he looked with considerable dread at the furious orange aura emanating from her as her eyes began to glow red.

"L-L-Look Nami I can explain everything!" Luffy panicked as he crawled backwards from her until his back hit the bookshelf causing a few to land on his head.

"There's nothing that needs explaining." Nami growled as she approached him, pounding her fist into her palm. "Do you have ANY idea how important that was to me?!" she said.

"It's just a desk! Franky can make you a new one! A better one!" Luffy said hopefully.

"I'm not talking about just the desk!" Nami barked. She bent down near the mess and picked up a rather shredded piece of paper, revealing some sort of strange pattern on it. It didn't take Luffy more than two seconds to realise it was the remains of a map.

"This map, took me a WHOLE WEEK TO DRAW!" Nami screamed. "IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST COMPLICATED ISLANDS TO CHART AND I JUST FINISHED IT THIS MORNING!" Luffy wanted nothing more than for a hole to appear beneath him and swallow him up at this point. He'd never seen Nami this furious before. Likely because it was more than just a ruined map, but a complicated one. And the demolished desk was just fuel on his funeral pyre.

"Nami please! It was an accident! I was just trying to put some books away for Robin!" Luffy begged. But his pleas fell upon fury deafened ears, as Nami lunged at him. Outside Usopp was curled up on the deck crying as he heard Luffy's strangled screams of fear and agony.

"FORGIVE ME, LUFFY~!" he wept. About ten minutes passed before Nami let out a frustrated sigh, feeling she'd let out her anger as she got up from Luffy who barely looked recognisable. His head was now a swollen mass of bumps and bruises and a few teeth were missing too.

"And I'm also fining you two hundred thousand berries for ruining both my study and my map!" she said as she began to walk away. But as she reached the door she paused. "Ok you can go now." She said, but got no reply, not even a groan of pain.

"Luffy, I said you're free to go." Nami said looking over her shoulder to see Luffy remaining on the floor. Nami lifted her hand to her mouth in slight concern before she hurried over to him and patted his cheek to try and wake him up. "Luffy?" Nami gritted her teeth slightly before she shook him by his shoulders. "Luffy, wake up!" she said, beginning to grow worried now. "Luffy! Say something!" but no response was given as Luffy remained unconscious his eyes rolled back as far as they could go. At this point began to lose a little colour form her face before she called the only person who could help her.

"CHOPPER!" she yelled before the little reindeer doctor came running to the doorway.

"What is it Na-EEEEEEEEEEEEEH~! LUFFYYYYYY~!" he squealed before dashing over to his Captain. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO HIM?!"

"He-He won't wake up. I just beat him up for destroying my study, but he won't get up." Nami said worriedly.

"I've gotta get him to the sickbay!" Chopper cried, before he switched to Heavy Point and carried Luffy off leaving Nami alone in the library who was now feeling utter concern for Luffy.

"Oh my god."

XXX

The crew were now patiently waiting in the kitchen for Chopper to give them news on their Captain's condition. He'd been working on him for about an hour now and of course none of it was sitting well with Nami.

"I really hope he's alright." She said with great concern.

"Hey it's your fault!" Zoro said. "I know you've beaten him up before but this?! What the hell did you do to him?!"

"Shut up, moss head!" Sanji barked.

"No he's right." Nami defended Zoro. "I was just so angry about my study being wrecked. I didn't mean for it to go that far. I just pray he'll forgive me."

"I'm sure he will, Nami. Luffy never holds grudges against his crew." Robin said reassuringly. But at that moment the door clicked, gaining the crew's attention, before Chopper emerged.

"How is he, Chopper?" Usopp asked.

"Well I have good news and bad news." Chopper said. "The good news is, he's going to be alright." The crew sighed with relief, but quickly turned their attention back to Chopper, knowing what had to come next. "But the bad news is…he's in a coma." The crew gasped upon hearing this.

"A coma?!" Nami repeated in disbelief.

"You delivered too many hits to his head, Nami. Luckily, since he's made of rubber, he didn't suffer any brain damage. He's just completely out cold. But a little more good news is that the coma shouldn't last long. No more than a week and no less than three days. And being the fast healer he is, I imagine it'll be the latter."

"Thank you so much, Chopper." Nami said. "I'm just so glad he's gonna be alright."

"Look I'm sure it's gonna be fine, Sis." Franky reassured. "Like Robin said, Luffy would never hold a grudge against you. If he did he probably would've kicked you out of the crew long ago for that temper of yours."

"You know it's moments like this I remember why I'm so lucky to have him as my Captain." Nami smiled. "Any other Captain would either get rid of me or at worst kill me if I so much as slapped them. Once he's awake I'm going to tell him how grateful I am for how much of my temper he's put up with after I apologise to him."

"I think he should also be thankful to you for putting up with all his stupidity." Sanji commented earning a chuckle form a few of the crew.

XXX

About three days had passed by now and even though the Straw Hats were worried about Luffy they trusted Chopper's word that if he didn't wake up on the third day, he would by the end of the week at the very latest. But as luck would have it, Luffy did in fact begin to regain consciousness. He groggily sat up rubbing his heavily bandage head before he turned his gaze to the calendar and gasped upon seeing the date.

"THREE DAYS?! THAT'S FIFTEEN MEALS!" he hollered. Of course the crew heard his shocking cry of hunger and quickly gathered outside the sickbay to greet him. Luffy then made his way through the doorway to find them waiting for him.

"Welcome back from the dead, Captain." Zoro smirked.

"SA-" Luffy tried to say but was cut off by the blonde chef.

"It's already done, Luffy. I've prepared plenty of food for you. Just wait a couple of minutes for me to set it up for you." Sanji explained.

"Thanks a million, Sanji."

"I'm glad you made a quick recovery, Luffy. I'll give you a quick check up after you've eaten." Chopper said.

"Thanks, Chopper." Luffy said.

"Luffy, please forgive me! I'm sorry I ran away. I just wasn't strong enough!" Usopp pleaded.

"Hey it's fine, Usopp. It's not like you stood much of a chance anyway. I'm just glad you didn't get beat up too."

"Thank you so much, Luffy." Usopp said thankful his Captain didn't think any less of him for fleeing from Nami. But that was when Luffy noticed Nami herself approaching him a relieved smile on her face. It was then, that Luffy began to turn pale and took a small step back, before Nami quickly embraced him in a gentle hug.

"Luffy, I'm so relived you're alright. I'm sor-"

"AAAAAAAAAUUUUGHH~!" Luffy suddenly let out a terrified scream that took everyone in the room by surprise, before he quickly pushed Nami away from him, unintentionally sending her to the floor in the process.

"Luffy what the hell?!" she said.

"How dare you push Nami?! Do you still want this food?!" Sanji snapped, but Luffy wasn't listening as he scuttled backwards into the sickbay, his back now against the back door, before he grabbed a piece of random equipment from Chopper's desk and held it out threateningly.

"Luffy what's gotten into you? Are you sure he didn't suffer brain damage, Chopper?" Nami asked.

"Stay back! I'm warning you!" Luffy said swatting at the air with his 'weapon' defensively. "Don't make me use this…thingamajig! I'll do it!"

"Luffy it's me, Nami." Nami tried to walk towards him, but Luffy only screamed again, flung open the back door and dashed out "Luffy wait!" Nami called as she went after him, the rest of the Straw close behind. They rounded the corner to see Luffy stretch his arm up to the flag post on top of the crow's nest and hoist himself up to it, knowing that he was the only one who could reach the roof of the crow's nest.

"Luffy, come down from there!" Nami called.

"NO! GO AWAY!" Luffy shouted back hiding behind the flag post.

"What the devil has happened to him?" Brook asked. "The last thing I'd ever imagine Luffy to be would be scared."

"But Luffy isn't scared of anything. At least nothing I know of." Chopper said.

"Isn't it obvious?" Zoro spoke up. "He's scared of Nami."

"Nami? But Nami's the one he trusts his hat to! He couldn't be scared of someone he trusts that much. I mean yeah, none of us want to be around her when she's angry but still." Usopp said.

"But that's just it, isn't it. He doesn't trust her." Zoro explained. "She beat him into a three day coma. I wouldn't trust someone who did that to me. And now he's completely terrified of her, cause I imagine he's afraid she'll do it again."

"But I wouldn't. I didn't even mean to knock him out that badly. Luffy I'm sorry I hurt you. I just wasn't thinking straight cause I was so stressed over my study being wrecked, but I know you didn't mean for it to happen and I feel terrible about what I did. Will you please come down?" Nami said, but Luffy didn't reply. He just hid behind the flag post quivering.

"Give him a few hours to calm down. Besides he'll have to come down once he's hungry enough." Sanji suggested.

"_Why do I have a bad feeling his stomach won't be enough?_" Blizzard said worried.

XXX

It was almost time for dinner and Luffy still hadn't come down from the roof of the crow's nest. It had been five hours since he'd climbed up to it and needless to say the crew were getting worried. Sanji made his way out onto the deck before looking up to the nest with a frown.

"Luffy~! Dinner's ready~! Come on down~!" He called.

"I-I'm fine thanks, Sanji." Luffy replied.

"It's your favourite! Pirate King Steak!" Sanji said, hoping the mention of Luffy's favourite meat dish would get him to come down. No response. Now Sanji was definitely concerned. "Luffy this is ridiculous. We're starting to worry about you. We know you've been through a lot recently, but you need to eat."

"I can't come down, or she'll get me!" Luffy replied, frightened.

"Nami's not gonna hurt you!"

"You don't know that! You weren't there!" Luffy argued.

"Come on! You're Straw Hat Luffy! Nothing scares you, especially your crew!"

"You don't get it, Sanji! If you'd been the one you'd be just as scared of her!" Luffy shouted. Sanji sighed. He didn't know what else he could say. He made his way back to the kitchen and took Luffy's plate form the table.

"He still won't come down?" Zoro said.

"He's scared shitless. He thinks Nami's gonna maul him the second he sets foot on the deck." Sanji replied. Nami felt herself shrink upon hearing. The weight of the situation was really starting to hit her. She'd felt bad enough about beating him up, but now she felt worse that he was refusing to come and join his friends for his favourite meal because of her presence. Sanji carried the plate outside before he set down near the mast.

"Just put the plate back down when you're done. I'm not gonna let you starve yourself over this." He said before he went back to join the others. Luffy waited until he was gone before he stretched his arm down to grab the plate and bring it back up so he could eat his meal. It was strange. Despite it being his favourite meat, it didn't taste as good as it used to, now that he was alone.

XXX

It was now getting late and the others were getting ready to go to bed. And as you'd imagine, Luffy still hadn't moved. He shivered slightly from the cold. Knowing he'd likely get sick if he stayed on the roof all night, he opened one of the windows to the crow's nest and slipped in, lucky to find a blanket there, likely left by one of the others from a past night watch. He wrapped himself up in it and curled up in a ball on the couch. Outside, Nami was making her way to the women's quarters, before she stared up at the crow's nest to see Luffy had vanished. At first she gasped hopefully that he'd went to join the rest of the guys, but then she spotted the top of his black scruffy hair in the nest window, causing her to sigh in disappointment.

"Well at the very least, he's smart enough to not stay on the roof all night. I just hope he'll give me a chance to earn his trust back." She said sadly and hopefully before turning in for the night.

XXX

The next morning, the crew came out to find that though Luffy was now inside the crow's nest rather than on it, he still refused to come down.

"How long does he plan to keep this up?" Usopp said.

"Who knows? All I want is for our Captain to join our company again." Robin replied.

"Couldn't we just go up there and bring him down?" Franky wondered.

"Already tried. He's locked the nest hatch so no one can get in. He's taking no precautions whatsoever." Zoro explained.

"Then how do we get him down?" Chopper asked sadly. "I miss him." Blizzard whined sadly in agreement.

"We all do, Chopper." Usopp said. "Wait! I think I have an idea."

"What is it, Usopp?" Nami asked.

"Nami, if you pretend to go out for the day, we might be able to get Luffy to come down."

"But the second he sees me he'll go back up to the nest."

"Perhaps not. While he's down here we'll talk to him and see if we can help him get over his Namiphobia. And with a bit of luck we will and then he'll be able to forgive you." Usopp explained.

"Anything's worth a shot if it means getting our old Luffy back." Franky agreed.

"All I want is to earn his trust back. So I'll do anything to get it." Nami said.

"Then it's settled. You pretend to go out for a walk or something and then once you're out of sight, we'll get Luffy to come down." Usopp said.

"Right." Nami said as she began to walk towards the gangplank. "Well I'll be back later, guys. I'll see you later this afternoon." She said before 'taking her leave'. Though once she was out of sight, Franky secretly opened the soldier dock system to let her sneak back in until the others were certain Luffy was over his fear.

"Luffy~!" Chopper called. "Nami's gone! You can come down now!" a few moments passed before Luffy slowly opened the hatch and poked his head out.

"She's gone?"

"Yes, Luffy she's gone. Now will you please come down from there?" Usopp said irritably. Luffy blinked a couple of times before he cautiously made his way down.

"Now Luffy, just how long do you plan to keep this up?" Zoro asked.

"Keep what up?"

"Being a big baby."

"I'M NOT A BABY!" Luffy shouted.

"Then stop hiding in the crow's nest like a little kid hides under his bed. Nami's not a monster who hides in a closet." Usopp said. "_Though I wouldn't be surprised if she was._" He then mumbled under his breath.

"Look I-I'm not that scared of her." Luffy muttered looking off to the left.

"Luffy you've developed a phobia. But all phobias can be beaten. You just need a little psychology." Chopper said.

"I don't need psychology! And I'm not scared!" Luffy said, arms folded.

"Luffy just let us hel-" Chopper began before Sanji placed his hand on the little reindeer's hat.

"Pardon me, Chopper. He said before he walked up to Luffy and raised his hands. "Luffy...imagine you're walking down a hallway." He then began to move his arms in different directions. "You take a left...you keep walking, then you take a right, and then another right, then a left. THERE'S NAMI!"

"AAAAAAH!" Luffy screamed falling backwards.

"Yeah I'll go get his bottle." Sanji said.

"SCREW YOU!" Luffy snapped.

"Look Luffy. We understand you're scared, but you know Nami's your friend. You trusted her probably more than any of us. Even when you thought she'd betrayed you during the whole Arlong Park affair. You never once lost trust in her. So why now?" Robin asked.

"I…I DON'T KNOW! Luffy shouted. "She was just so scary! It was like a nightmare! She didn't even give me a chance to explain what happened! If she doesn't trust me why should I?!"

"She does trust you! Just because she got angry at you doesn't mean she doesn't trust you." Zoro said.

"Then why does she keep beating me up and yelling at me over everything?! I know I'm dumb but you think I'm happy about it?! If she wants to beat up someone for me being stupid, she can beat up my Grandpa! He made me live on a mountain with a bunch of bandits my whole childhood! I NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL CAUSE OF HIM!" a few moments passed as the Straw-hats let the revelation sink in. Nami herself had heard everything as she was hidden behind the kitchen door, listening to the group. She now felt even worse about all the times she'd got angry at Luffy over so much as him saying something stupid.

"Well that definitely explains a lot." Sanji said.

"I'll say. So that old geezer's the reason you're dumber than a bag of hammers." Franky said. "No offense."

"Well I think that if you just told Nami that I'm sure she'd understand. She really wants to apologise to you, but I think if she found out about this then she might even be able to learn to not get so sensitive with you." Brook said.

"I-I-I don't know, guys." Luffy stuttered.

"Come on don't be a chicken, Luffy. Nami just wants you to forgive her. She's not gonna bite your head off." Usopp said.

"I-I need to take a walk." Luffy said before he went off the ship and into a nearby forest before the others could stop him.

"_Well at least he opened up._" Blizzard said.

"I just hope he'll be able to talk to Nami once he comes back." Chopper said. But it was at that moment when the aforementioned navigator came out from her hiding place.

"Hey where'd Luffy go?"

"He said he was going for a walk." Zoro answered.

"Well which way?! I have to find him!" Nami said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Nami? I don't' know if he's over his phobia of you yet." Usopp said.

"Well then I'll prove it to him. I'm not waiting any longer! I want my Captain back!" Nami said before she jumped off the Sunny and went after Luffy.

"Let's pray this doesn't end badly." Sanji said.

XXX

Luffy slowly made his way through the forest lost in his thoughts. He was starting to wonder himself why he had become so afraid of Nami himself.

"Is it because she put me in a coma? Or that she wouldn't let me explain why her study and her map got ruined? Or that I can't seem to trust her? Or maybe…that she didn't trust me?" he said to himself as he continued to walk, until he reached the edge of the forest to find a cliff overlooking the sea. He looked at the wide view for a few moments before he decided he should get back to the ship. But as he began to walk back, Nami suddenly came out from behind one of the trees, taking Luffy by surprise.

"Luffy, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Nami said as she walked towards him. Luffy trembled as he began to back away from Nami.

"D-Don't come any closer! Please!"

"Luffy I heard everything you said to the guys. How many more times do I have to say it to gain your trust back? I'm really REALLY sorry about what I did. I'm sorry I never listened to you, for all the times I yelled and hit you over small things and I'm sorry most of all that my temper cost us your trust in me. But won't you let me earn it back?! That's what friends do!" Although Luffy was listening, he continued to walk backwards from Nami, but didn't notice he was nearing the edge of the cliff, before his left foot went over the edge causing him to fall back.

"LUFFY!" Nami screamed as Luffy went over the edge before she ran over and grabbed his hand, the rest of his body dangling over the edge of the cliff above the churning sea below. "Luffy give me your hand!" she said as she reached out for his other hand. "You have to trust me! I know you still trust me!" Luffy at first looked fearful before he reached up and grabbed Nami's open hand allowing her to pull him back up, with some effort. But as soon as they were back on solid ground, Nami embraced Luffy in a tight hug, refusing to let go.

"Please. Please forgive me Luffy. For everything." She sniffled regretfully, a couple of guilty tears leaked from her tawny brown eyes. "I didn't realise it until now how much of wonderful Captain you are to someone as hot-headed and stubborn as me. Any other crew would've marooned, abandoned or killed me. But you never once doubted me. You could've easily just thrown me away but you trusted me more than anything. You even trusted me with your treasure. I can't bear losing your trust…because it's even more precious than all the treasure in this world! So will you please let me have it back?...Please?" Nami sniffed as she buried her head in Luffy's chest before she felt something on her head. She reached and touched it before recognising what ti was, which only caused more tears to spill from her eyes only this time they were of joy and relief.

"Luffy…" she whispered as she hugged him.

"I'm sorry too, Nami. I don't know why I was so scared. I guess I thought you didn't trust me either. I'm just as scared of losing my friend's trust as well."

"Luffy. I promise you. No matter how many times I yell at you. No matter how many bumps or bruises I give you, I'll never trust you any less than I always have."

"I trust you, Nami." Luffy smiled as the two friends remained hugging, happy to have repaired their bond.

XXX

After returning and breaking the news to the others, the crew was overjoyed to see their Captain no comfortable in his navigator's presence again. The evening went along like any other though the crew all felt the empty space left by Luffy had been filled again. And as the crew were turning in for night, Luffy felt someone take his hand and turned to see Nami smiling warmly at him. He smiled back before she hugged him again, gently.

"I'm glad I didn't lose you, Luffy. And I'm glad I have you back." She smiled.

"Me too." Luffy grinned, before Nami pulled away and then gently held his shoulders, before she pulled him down and kissed him on the cheek. Luffy froze as her lips pressed against his cheek firmly but gently for about ten seconds before she pulled away.

"Good night, Luffy." She said before she walked to women's quarters, but not before turning back as she winked at him and shut the door leaving Luffy alone. He gently brought his hand to his cheek which was now glowing bright pink, before a wide smiled spread across his face. It seemed that both Luffy and Nami's bond had developed to much more…intimate stage.

The End


	18. Three Sword Snowball Effect

Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard are having fun in the snow and want Zoro to join them. But the outcome may not be exactly what they expected.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

**Inspired by Spongebob episode 'Snowball effect' which belongs to Nickelodeon **

* * *

Winter. What a split season it is. You either love it or hate it. But then the same can be said for any season. Regardless, it is the current season the Straw Hats have found themselves in at their recent island. A small forest was growing there and the crew had decided to wrap up for the winter during their stay. Upon arriving Franky and Zoro constructed a cosy log cabin for the whole gang to live in for their time on the island. There were plenty of animals to hunt for meat and even fruits to pick so food wasn't a problem. And they were practically surrounded by water only needing to gather mounds of snow to melt. Satisfied the crew settled down to enjoy their small winter holiday. Nami and Robin were both in their chosen rooms either relaxing or reading. Franky was somewhere in the forest gathering wood, while Sanji was preparing a large roast boar for dinner which he'd caught this morning. Brook was sitting on a tree stump in the clearing playing his violin, surrounded by a possess of small woodland animals ranging from birds to bunnies and even a bear. As for Zoro, he was settled on a large bear skin rug in the living room, relaxing in front of the fire, a relaxed smile on his face form the warmth. And where are Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Blizzard you ask? Outside having the time of their lives in a snowball fight. Usopp was in the process of crafting one of his artistic snow sculptures. This one was of him in a warrior's outfit with his arm around a female warrior that looked very much like Kaya.

"Fetch Blizzard!" Chopper laughed as he waved a snowball in front of Blizzard, who bounded around panting, before his little reindeer brother threw it into the clearing. The wolf-dog galloped after it and in doing so pile drove his head into the snow searching for the ball. That was until he found out it had just merged with the snow on the ground and was gone for good, as he pulled his head out of the snow, his face now covered in the white powder as he frowned at Chopper who was rolling on his back laughing, until Blizzard charged over to him and began to roll his little brother over in the snow resulting in it sticking to his fur, before Chopper was stuck in a giant snowball, like a white version of his guard point.

"Hey! Lemme out of here!" he pouted but only got a doggy kiss on the face and a grin in response from Blizzard.

"YAY! SNOW ANGEL!" Luffy cheered throwing himself flat on his back and swinging his arms and legs back and forth. But upon getting up he discovered the print he'd left was shaped like a devil. "Aww why does that always happen?" he whined. **Splat!** He at that moment broken out of his depression by a snowball splatting against the back of his head. "Hey who threw that?!" he said as he turned to see Chopper, who'd been released from the snowball, whistling innocently.

"Hey Chopper. You're not gonna believe this. While you were standing there whistling someone threw a snowball at me." Chopper giggled, covering his mouth with his hoof.

"Gee Luffy. Did it look like this?" he asked before throwing another ball of ice crystals at his Captain's face.

"Yeah that's exactly what it looked like. Chopper someone's out to get me! We gotta warn the others and get back to the ship!"

"Luffy, Chopper threw the snowball. It's a snowball fight?" Usopp said.

"Oh yeah. Let's fight!" Luffy cheered. "You're on my team Blizzard!"

"But wait. How can Blizzard make snowballs? He doesn't have thumbs." Usopp spoke up.

"_Who needs thumbs?_" Blizzard smiled before he grabbed a pile of snow with his tail and rolled it into a ball before tossing it in the air and batting it with his tail knocking Chopper over.

"Blizzard how could you?!" he said.

"_It's a snowball fight, remember?_" Blizzard laughed before a ball hit him in the face too, sticking to his fur like a white beard. Chopper fell on his back laughing, and was soon hit by a snowball as well.

"FREEFORALL!" Luffy roared before the four friends ran off to their respective posts and began pelting each other left and right. Meanwhile back inside Zoro was still enjoying his R&amp;R.

"Ah. Perfect. Roaring fire, cosy rug, warm beer. And after I'm done I think I'll take a nice nap with Robin." He smiled before a stray snowball came through the window and landed in the fire, extinguishing it. "Dammit all to hell." He grumbled as he stood up and went to the window to see what was going on. The four miscreants were going wild. Their snowball fight had escalated into a war. Luffy dodged a snowball thrown by Chopper as he ran towards a large mound of snow to take cover. But as he neared it he didn't spot a pair of cherry blossom pink eyes hidden in it before Blizzard leaped out of the pile of snow and pinned Luffy to the ground, smothering him in doggy kisses.

"Hey no fair! This is a snowball fight not a dog pile!" Luffy laughed, before Blizzard was knocked off him by a large snowball. The pair looked to see Usopp holding a giant bazooka over his shoulder and he had an icicle clamped in his teeth like a cigar.

"_What the hell?_" Blizzard said.

"Now is the winter of our discontent!" Usopp announced as he unloaded a barrage of cannonball sized snowballs at the pair who ran for cover behind another mound of snow.

"Hey who said you could use weapons?!" Chopper questioned.

"HAHAHA! You fools! This war was over before it started! With me and Franky's unstoppable weapon; The Usonky Snow Blaster, you shall all fall to its wrath!"

"Usonky?" Luffy said before the misfit trio burst into giggles and snickers over the name.

"Well it was either that or, the Fransopp Frost Cannon. But anyway, I will now consider your unconditional surren-" **Splat!** "-der." Usopp finished as he was hit by another snowball which Luffy had thrown at him. The Captain laughed before Usopp got up glaring at him.

"Alright. So that's how he wants to play?" he said before he switched the barrel of the bazooka to a gating gun. He hopped up on a mound of snow and opened fire on Luffy, Blizzard and Chopper.

"Missed us!" Luffy laughed before a barrage of snowballs was unloaded into his mouth, by Usopp, until his gob had been filled with snowballs, to the point where it had been stretched to the size of a beach ball.

"Score one for the big guy!" Usopp cheered, as Luffy tried to close his mouth, gagging out muffled gibberish as he did.

"Guys, I think he's trying to say something." Chopper said before Luffy swallowed hard and sighed.

"Sorry. I was trying to say I was choking on the snowballs, but they all meted into water and I drank them so I'm fine now."

"Good for you." Usopp said.

"…But now I gotta take a leak." Luffy said quickly as he covered his crotch and ran off into the woods.

"Would you Neanderthals keep it down already?!" Zoro decided to take this opportunity to speak up. "I'm trying to relax in here!"

"Zoro! You're just in time to join our army! We shall defeat the long nosed menace and his Usonky Snow Blaster!" Chopper proclaimed.

"No, thanks." Zoro said with a frown.

"AHA! Aiding the enemy! How could you betray your Captain, Zoro?!" Luffy shouted who'd just come back from his piss-taking.

"Luffy I'm no-" Zoro ducked as a snowball was thrown at him and put out the fire again. The first mate snarled as he grabbed a mound of snow earning a yelp of defence out of Luffy.

"Alright, Zoro's on my side!" Usopp cheered.

"I am not!"

"Then he's on my side, like he's always been!" Luffy cheered.

"No I'm not!"

"Then my side?" Chopper asked.

"No!"

"_Mine?_" Blizzard barked.

"NO! I'm on nobody's side. Snowball fights are for little babies and I am not lowering myself to your level!" Zoro said tossing the snowball away. "If you lot wanna pelt each other frozen, then go ahead. But I'm staying out of it!" Zoro said as he went back inside.

"Aww. I wanted Zoro to play with us~." Chopper whined.

"He doesn't know what he's missing." Luffy said.

"Perhaps we can show him." Usopp smirked as he tossed a snowball up and down in his hands before pulling out his slingshot and aimed at Zoro through the window.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Luffy asked.

"Trust me on this one." Usopp said before he released the shot and the snowball shot through the window and hit the green-haired swordsman square in the face, awakening him instantly.

"DAMMIT! I said watch where you're throwing those things!" he shouted as he stormed to the window.

"Then you're gonna have to fight us~!" Usopp jeered.

"Then just fight each other!"

"We're bored of that. Besides these guys are too weak." Usopp said before sneaking a wink at his friends so they'd play along. Zoro sighed before he made his way out and over to them.

"You're underestimating them Usopp. Ok pretend I'm Luffy." He said.

"Then who am I?" Luffy asked.

"You're still Luffy."

"Can I be Nami?" Chopper asked.

"N-Wait why her?"

"She's a good leader."

"Just butt out!" Zoro snapped.

"Hey don't you dare snap at my fiancé!" Luffy shouted.

"Since when has your fiancé had antlers?!"

"Well-"

"I DON'T WANNA KNOW!" Zoro roared. "Look I'm Luffy, Usopp's Usopp." He said before throwing a snowball at the sniper. "Now what do you to Luffy?" Usopp responded by throwing a snowball back at Zoro.

"Why didn't you hit Luffy?!"

"You said you were Luffy, Luffy."

"That's right Zoro! Now quit screwin' around or I'm fining your butt off!" Chopper said in a Nami voice with two snowballs stuck to his furry chest. Zoro stared at the strange image before sighing again.

"Ok. Let's just pretend that I'm now part of the war. Now-"

"Where's your fort?" Usopp asked.

"I don't have one."

"You gotta have one, Zoro. Forts mean war." Luffy said.

"Alright fine!" Zoro barked before putting together a small pile of snow. "There. So-"

"That's too small, Zoro." Chopper said.

"It's only a demonstration, Chopper."

"It won't work. It's tiny. You're a sitting duck." Usopp said.

"It's fine." Splat! Another snowball hit him in the face.

"See?"

"I can still crouch down. At least let me try that." Zoro said before kneeling down behind his fort. "See I'm perfectly-" Splat!

"Vulnerable." Luffy concluded.

"Will you just-" Splat! "Stop throwing-" Splat! "Snowballs….." Splat! Zoro snarled furiously before grabbing a ball of the white powder and hurling it at the group of troublemakers who ducked to avoid it as it went into the cabin and put out the fire once more.

"Zoro returned fire!" Usopp said.

"THIS MEANS WAR!" Chopper declared.

"No! Guys I was just demonstrating!" Zoro tried to explain but the four friends had already begun their attack. Usopp unloaded a barrage of giant snowballs from his cannon. Blizzard was batting snowballs at Zoro with his tail and Chopper and pulling Luffy back like a slingshot, the latter of which holding giant mounds of snow. By the time they were done Zoro was completely buried in snow, before he burst out of it fuming mad.

"ALRIGHT! THAT'S IT! You asked for it!" he roared before grabbing a ball of snow and hurling it at the group, which hit Luffy in the face. "Hey, I-I got him. I got him!" Zoro laughed. "Suck on that, Luffy!"

"Hehe, he got you good Luffy." Chopper giggled.

"Yeah, I guess he-" **Splat!** Luffy was hit by another snowball. "INCOMING!" he shouted as the group ducked down as Zoro began hurling hundreds of snowballs at them, laughing madly.

"That's for throwing me through the air back at Arlong Park! I nearly broke my back!" he shouted as he threw a large snowball at Luffy. "And this is for knocking me off the boat when we found Apis! And for when you pulled me onto the boat from three miles away!"

"Man he's a got a lot of bones to pick with you, Luffy." Usopp muttered before he was hit too.

"That's for tricking me with your stupid tone dial! And this one's for tricking me into playing tag with you clowns! And Blizzard, this one's for eating my shoes! And this one's for slobbering on my face when you woke me up from my nap!"

"It just means he likes you, Zoro!" Chopper said, before he got snowballed to.

"And let's not forget you, Chopper. That's for breaking my back after Enies Lobby!" Zoro shouted as he continued to attack the quartet.

"Uhh…Usopp?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah?"

"I think Zoro's taking this snowball fight way too seriously. That last one had one of his swords in it!" the sniper looked to see Luffy had been pinned to a tree by Kitetsu III.

"Yeah. I just wanted him to play with us, but now I think he's having too much fun." Chopper said.

"_It's kinda creepy really._" Blizzard muttered at Zoro's crazed expression.

"Agreed. I think it's time for plan b." he said as Luffy pulled the sword out of the tree and the quartet sauntered off. Zoro didn't seem to notice, for he was panting form all the throwing he'd just done, but he soon snapped back to his senses.

"Where'd they go? Are they planning a sneak attack?!" he wondered. "That's right, my forts too small. I gotta make it bigger!" he said before piling up more snow around himself. "But now my left sides too short, they'll get me easily!" he noticed, before adding more snow. "There we are. But what if they tried aerial attacks form the trees?! I'm gonna need my swords for this!" he said as he gathered his katanas and whipped up a dragon twister, resulting in a whirlwind of snow surrounding him before the dust settled to revel Zoro had built a giant pillar of snow around himself, reaching the treetops and towered at least three times over the cabin.

"Perfect. My fortress is now perfected. I am invincible! INVINCIBLE~!" he roared. "Now where are those maroons hiding?" he wondered, before some snow landed on his head. "AHA! THERE YOU ARE, LUFFY!" he shouted throwing a snowball in a random direction, before more snow landed on him. "OVER THERE, USOPP!" **Splat.** "I'VE GOT YA NOW, CHOPPER!" **Splat.** "TRY THIS FOR A BALL, BLIZZARD!" **Splat.** "I WILL DESTROY YOU!" /bSplat./b For you see, some snow was dripping from the branch of a tree above Zoro's fortress and was landing on his head, sending him the wrong message. And where are Luffy and the others you ask? Inside the cabin in the living room in front of the relit fire, enjoying some hot chocolate with marshmallows.

"Hey did you guys here something?" Chopper asked.

"Nope not me." Luffy replied.

"I didn't hear anything." Usopp said.

**Ruff!** Blizzard barked as he lapped up his hot chocolate.

"Oh well." Chopper said as the group went back to relaxing.

XXX

A few hours had passed and it was now almost time for dinner. Sanji had just finished the roast and was about to call the others in to eat.

"Dinners almost ready, guys!" he called. "Hey where's moss head?"

"I think he's till outside." Chopper said.

"Really he's still out there?" Luffy said.

"I'll go get him." Usopp said as he went out the door to find the gargantuan pillar waiting for him. "Whoa when'd that get there?" he wondered. "Hey Zoro, you there?!" he called. **Splat!** He was hit in the face with a snowball.

"There you are, Usopp! I knew one of you would let your guard down eventually!" the swordsman laughed.

"Look, Zoro. Game's over. It's time for dinner." Usopp said.

"Nice try! You just want me to leave my fort so I'm defenceless! Well eat my powder!" Zoro barked as he began to pelt Usopp with snowballs, forcing the sniper to retreat back into the cabin. The crew looked to him for answers, but all he did was twirl his finger next to his head whistling.

"Well it's his stomach, not mine." Sanji commented. "He can go hungry for all I care."

"Don't be so sure, Sanji." Robin said as she went to the door. "Let a lady handle this." she added before making her way outside and looking up at the fort. "So that's where he's hiding." She smiled. Before crossing her arms. "Well I know how to get him out. Uno fleur…pinch." As soon as she said that, she heard a small yelp as Zoro suddenly leapt up in air revealing himself at the top of his fort.

"WHO JUST DID THAT?! LUFFY?! USOPP?! CHOPPER?! BLIZZARD?!" he said before he looked down to see his smiling girlfriend. "Robin?"

"Come on down, Zoro. It's time for dinner. I've missed you~." She winked.

"So you've decided to join the battle, huh woman?!" he grinned. "Then prepare for battle!" Robin looked surprised at first, before she smiled.

"I'm afraid you've already lost." She said. "Mil fleur. Gigantesco mano." She said as two giant hands sprouted up from the ground. "Push." With that the giant hands pushed the fortress over which fell to pieces as it hit the ground, before Zoro managed to pull himself out.

"Curse you! I shall have my-" **Splat!** He was silenced by a snowball to the face. As Robin giggled.

"Oh hush, Zoro. It's only a game." She smirked. Zoro looked at her, apparently regaining his senses, before he smiled evilly and began to roll up and large snowball and lifted it above his head. But Robin was ready for him, for she crossed her arms and a pair of them sprouted from Zoro's elbows, pushing his arms apart and causing the large snowball to land on his head. The archaeologist laughed as she walked over to him.

"Ok now you've made me mad!" Zoro barked. "You're in big trouble Ro-" but he was interrupted as Robin kissed him on the cheek.

"Catch me if you can!" Robin winked, before taking off with Zoro in hot pursuit. The crew watched through the window as the couple chased each other around he forest. Luffy watched before he turned to his Nami.

"Hey, Nami. Do you wanna build a snowman?" he asked.

"Let it go, Luffy."

The End


	19. The Day Before Parting Ways

The D brothers are spending their last day together before they part ways to begin their dreams as pirates, but Luffy plans to make Ace's last day at home the best he can.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard (as a puppy) belongs to XfangheartX**

* * *

It was the middle of a quiet night in the mountain jungle of Dawn Island, and we find ourselves looking into a treehouse with a crow's nest which flies a pirate flag with the letters 'ASL' in red, blue and yellow. And inside this treehouse are two teenagers. They are Portgas D Ace and Monkey D Luffy, the latter of which is currently awake and scribbling down some notes on a piece of paper. What and why you may ask? Well it turns out that Ace was due to turn seventeen the day after tomorrow and with that, he would leave the island to begin his adventure on the grand Line to become King of the Pirates. Because of this, Luffy had been thinking about what the two of them should do for his last day on his home island before the elder D brother set off. So far, Luffy had thought up several ideas for what they could partake in, and since this was important to him, he'd performed the rare bodily functions of thinking and planning for this set of events yet to come. As he jotted down the last sentence on the sheet of paper he smiled with satisfaction before folding it up and putting it in his pocket before lying down on his futon, preparing to go to sleep. Before he did, he glanced at his big brother who was snoring loudly. He smiled before turning over and facing the other way.

"_Just you wait, Ace. I'm gonna make this the best last day here for you first thing in the morning._" He thought to himself, before his eyelids gave way and he drifted off to sleep.

XXX

The next morning, Ace groggily awoke from his bed, sitting up and stretching in the process. As he turned his head, he soon found it met with the grinning face of his little brother.

"Morning to you too, Luffy." Luffy then held up the sheet of paper he had been writing on last night. "And this is?" Ace asked.

"A list. A list of things I've decided for us to do today." Luffy smiled.

"Is that so?"

"Yep. I've chosen some of our favourite things to do, so this is gonna be the best day ever." Luffy grinned.

"Well I didn't have any plans in particular for today." Ace said. "And you've managed to get my attention. Sure why not?" he smiled. Luffy chuckled at Ace's acceptation before he looked at his list.

"Alright then our first activity for the day is…boar riding." He stated.

"Hey, can't remember the last time we tried that. You got thrown off a cliff by one last time." Ace reminisced.

"It was only a couple hundred feet." Luffy muttered.

"Yeah to a rubber chicken like you, heights aren't a bother at all." Ace snickered.

"Besides I've come prepared this time." Luffy said before holding up a piece of red cloth.

"What is that?"

"Dadan's scarf. We know the boars go nuts when they see red. So we'll use this to confuse them so we can ride them easier. Plus I wore my blue shirt today so they don't chase me like last time."

"Not bad. This could turn out to be a pretty fun day." Ace smirked, which Luffy returned tenfold.

XXX

As Luffy and Ace made their way through the large, dense jungle, they entered a clearing where they spotted a few large brown boars with dark red striped. They trotted about the clearing occasionally sniffing the grass. A couple of others were in the middle of a fight locking their tusks together and letting out angry grunts and squeals in the process.

"Bingo." Luffy grinned as he took out the scarf. "You ready, Ace."

"Born." Ace replied. Luffy nodded before he began to wave the scarf in front of himself. Almost immediately, the boars stopped what they were doing a looked at him. They stared for a few long seconds before they began to snort aggressively, until one of them charged straight towards Luffy, its tusks aimed at him. Luffy snickered as he continued to wave the scarf, before he stepped to the side, resulting in the boar running under the scarf and into the clearing before it stopped suddenly and looked around, puzzled.

"Shishishi. Olay!" Luffy laughed as the boar turned around and charged again. Only to miss a second time to the same method. It squealed, frustratingly as it tried to ram Luffy who dodged it every time. "Toro! Toro!" Luffy chanted as he leapt or stepped away from the animal.

"Luffy, 'toro' means bull, not boar." Ace corrected.

"Oh. Um…Porco! Porco Roso!" Luffy chanted instead.

"That's just a made up word!" Ace shouted, until as the boar charged once more, this time Luffy jumped onto it as it ran under the scarf. It stopped in surprise before it tried to shake Luffy off, jumping and bucking around the clearing.

"HAHAHA! I'M ON, ACE!" Luffy laughed before throwing the scarf to his brother. "You're turn!" Ace chuckled as he whistled to another one of the boars and waved the scarf at it, teasingly, causing it to charge at him. It ran under the piece of clothing a few times before the older D brother jumped onto its back and began to ride it, much to its chagrin. "YEAH! I'M ON, LUFFY!" he cheered as the boar tried to throw him off.

"ALRIGHT, ACE!" Luffy grinned, but at that moment, the boar noticed Luffy drop his guard, and came to a sudden stop which in turn launched, Luffy from its back and sent him flying across the clearing, before, PLONK! His head lodged itself into the hollow of a nearby tree.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" he said in a mixture of shock and slight pain. Ace on the other hand was beside himself with laughter. Even the boars seemed to be snickering at the straw-hat wearing teen.

"Wipe out huh, Luffy?" Ace laughed.

"ACE! GET ME OUTTA THIS TREE! There's a woodpecker in here and it's not happy to see me!" Luffy said before Ace began to hear a rapid pecking noise coming from inside the tree along with several small repetitive bursts of the word 'Ow!' This, of course, only sent him into further fits of laughter. This was turning out to be quite a good day indeed.

XXX

After pulling Luffy's head out of the tree (after Ace had spent a good fifteen minutes laughing and poking him), the brothers went into town to get some lunch.

"I think that bird made a nest in my hair while I was in that tree." Luffy grumbled picking twigs out of his black mop.

"Hey, at least you got free eggs out of it, right?" Ace laughed, until they arrived at their chosen restaurant. But upon arriving, they noticed sketch drawing of their faces were posted in the window, with the large word 'BANNED' above them in big red letters.

"Uh-oh. Looks like we baled hear enough times so they could memorize our faces." Ace said.

"You mean we can't go in this one either. Every other restaurant has our faces in the window." Luffy said.

"Seems so. Looks like we need a new approach to this." Ace said as he rubbed his chin before pounding his fist into his palm in realisation. "Wait here, Lu." He said before jogging off and leaving Luffy alone, wondering what he was up to. A few minutes later Ace returned with a pair of hooded cloaks.

"You really think that's gonna work, Ace?" Luffy asked.

"Don't worry. We'll say we're traders passing through town and don't like to show our faces in case people try to track us back to our supplies." Ace explained as they put the cloaks on. "Now come on, let's go eat." He said before they headed into the restaurant. As expected, their disguise gained the attention of a good number of people, but the brothers paid now attention as they sat down at one of the empty tables.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" one of the staff said, approaching them.

"Just a couple of humble traders passing through town." Ace said in a gravelly voice. "We prefer not to show our faces. Bandits have attempted to raid us many times so we prefer to remain anonymous."

"Of course, Sir. So what can we get you?"

"All it takes to fill our stomachs." Luffy said in a low voice as well. "Oh and plenty of meat." He quickly added. About half an hour later, both brothers were stuffing their faces with as much as they could, gaining many mixed responses from the surrounding public. One member of staff couldn't help but narrow his eyes as though he recognised the ill-mannered eating style of the two young men.

"Enjoying your meal, Sirs?" he asked.

"Very well thank you." Ace replied.

"Yeah you people really know how to please your _customers!_" at that moment Luffy's voice suddenly rose in pitch on the last word of his sentence, surprising everyone.

"Hey…you alright, partner~?" Ace said in slight worry.

"It's…It's _nothing!_" Luffy's voice changed again and he covered his mouth. His voice was cracking. "_Stupid puberty! You're gonna get us busted!_" he thought. "_Sabo was always so much better at this._"

"Do you need some water, Sir?" The staff member asked suspiciously walking over to him, causing Luffy to stand up in slight worry.

"N-No-no! I'm, _fine_ thanks." Luffy said. "Just need to use the _bathroom_." He said as he began to walk away quickly, but as he did, his foot caught on Ace's cloak causing him to fall and in doing so, pulled it off of his brother, while his own hood fell down exposing their faces. The crowd gasped. "…Oops." Luffy squeaked.

"YOU BLEW MY COVER!" Ace shouted in both rage and fear.

"I KNEW IT WAS YOU TWO BOTTOMLESS PITS!" the staff member thundered. "Your bill's so big you could stay a whole year in a five star hotel!"

"CHEESE IT!" Luffy squawked and with that the D brothers sped out of the joint, the restaurant staff closes behind them.

"GET BACK HERE! You're gonna wash dishes 'til you're both old men!"

"Dammit, Luffy! We could have got away with it!" Ace said.

"It's not my fault my voice cracks when it wants to!" Luffy argued back as they turned a corner only to find themselves in an alley. "Aw dammit, a dead end!" they turned to see the restaurant staff closing in on them.

"You're not getting away this time."

"Oh we're in trouble." Ace muttered until Luffy suddenly got an idea.

"Ace, grab my legs."

"Wha-"

"GRAB 'EM!" Luffy barked prompting his brother to take hold of his legs before Luffy stretched his arms up and grabbed the rooftops on either side of the alley. "Gum gum…ROCKET!" he shouted. **WHOOOOOOSH** both he and Ace took off from the ground and flew across the town and away from the angry staff who were cursing and waving their fists at them.

"SHISHISHISHISHISHI! SO LONG, SUCKERS~!" Luffy laughed.

"LUFFY LOOK OUT!" Ace shouted as Luffy looked to see they were heading straight for a nearby building.

"HELP US, SUCKERS~!" Luffy screamed, but it was too late as they both hit the wall with a comical **SPLAT!** Before sliding down it like bugs on a windscreen.

"Worst. Eat n run. Ever." Ace said, his voice muffled by the brick wall.

XXX

After peeling themselves off the wall and sneaking back to the mountain without being spotted, the brothers seemed to have found themselves in a bit of a fight.

"Thanks a bunch, Luffy! I think you nearly broke my nose!" Ace scolded.

"Hey I'm still working on the gum gum rocket! Besides it got us away didn't it?!"

"Yeah, because you got us caught!" Ace pointed out.

"Well you made us were those big clumsy cloaks! A guy with two left feet would have less chance of tripping!"

"You mean you, right?" Ace smirked.

"Take that back!"

"Make me!"

"I don't make monkeys; I train 'em!"

"You resemble that remark!"

"I know you are, but what am I?!"

"That doesn't work here!"

"Takes one to know one!"

"You're just saying random comeback lines now!"

"Oh you wanna fight about it?!"

"Ladies first!"

"Age before beauty!"

"No pain, no gain!"

"What pain?" **POW!** Luffy was responded to by Ace's fist to his face sending him to the ground. He sat up before wiping the drop of blood from his nose.

"Oh it, is, on." He murmured angrily before he lunged at Ace. The two brothers rolled around the forest floor attempting to throw punches and kicks at each other until Ace managed to get on top of Luffy and bend his legs back, causing Luffy to yell and slap his palm against the ground.

"HA! Got you now! Do you submit?!"

"I…I…DON'T!" Luffy shouted before he twisted his body around so he was facing Ace and knocked him off with a punch to the face. "You know that doesn't work on me!"

"Dammit, how could I forget that?!" Ace face palmed.

"Now try this. Gum gum…PISTOL!" Luffy shouted as he shot his fist towards Ace, but then saw that his brother had grabbed his fist and was now holding it. "What the?!"

"Nice try, Luffy."

"Lemme go!" Luffy shouted as he tried to pull his fist back.

"Gladly." **TWANG!** With that, Ace let go of Luffy extended arm and as he did it shot back towards Luffy and hit him in the face, knocking him over.

"DAMMIT!" Luffy cursed as he sat up rubbing his nose. "You're gonna pay for that Ace! Gum gum…GATLING!" he shouted as he threw a flurry of punches at Ace, who dived away from them into a bush, causing the punches to instead hit a tree. "Where'd you go, now?" Luffy said as he looked around when he suddenly felt a presence behind him.

"Gotcha!" Ace laughed before he suddenly grabbed Luffy's arms and stretched them out before…he began to tie him up with his own limbs, before Luffy was a tangles mass of rubber, flopping about on the ground like a beached fish.

"Dammit, Ace that's not fair!" Luffy whined.

"There's nothing fair when it comes to fighting. Unless it's an honourable duel, but in this case we're just brawling so no rules." Ace grinned. "Give up?"

"Not on your nelly! Just you wait till I get out of here!" Luffy said as he bounced around trying to free himself before whining. "Dammit. I'm stuck. Back to the painting board."

"You mean drawing board." Ace corrected as he began to untie Luffy. "Remember. Not all people you're gonna fight out there will play fair, so you gotta be prepared for anything. Even something like this."

"Yeah I guess you're right." Luffy mumbled. "Come on let's go back to the treehouse."

XXX

As the two brothers carried on back to their home, they seemed to be in better spirits than they were before.

"I gotta hand ti to you, Luffy. This is turning out to be a great day. Sure some things went wrong here and there, but boy, does it make you feel alive to run away from trouble."

"You got that right, Ace." Luffy smiled. Though it only seemed half-hearted this time, but Ace didn't seem to notice.

"And the best part of it is, there's no stopping me fulfilling my goal of setting sail tomorrow for the Grand Line and to find the One Piece. Especially that cranky old geezer and his iron fists."

"Now is that any way to speak to your elders?" a gruff voice said.

"It is if your elder's a grumpy old marine lap dog who thinks the only way to gain someone's trust and respect is to beat the stuffing, snot and spunk out of 'em." Ace chuckled before he suddenly froze, as did Luffy. "Uh…who said that?"

"I did." The D brothers slowly turned before they saw none other than Monkey D Garp, their Grandpa standing before them, arms crossed and an intimidating smile on his bearded face.

"You were saying, Ace?"

"Damn you. So you came here to hang around and stop me from leaving tomorrow!" Ace glared.

"Oh believe me I would, Ace. But unfortunately I came here on business just to check up on a few things. My log pose sets this evening so I won't be here tomorrow to see you pull off that little suicide stunt of yours, or as you call it, 'becoming a pirate.'"

"Oh. Well in that case on your bike and take hike!" Ace laughed.

"That rhymes." Luffy commented.

"If you can't stay then that means you can't stop me from becoming a pirate tomorrow when I become of age! You lost, old man."

"Don't be so sure, Ace. I might not be able to stay around and hold you back." Garp said as he took a step forward. "But that doesn't mean I can't take one last shot to beat some sense into that thick meat headed skull of yours. And yours too, Luffy." The brothers gulped as they backed away, before Ace whispered to Luffy.

"Don't worry, I've got a plan."

"Wh-What is it?" Luffy asked.

"Ok. Well uh, you…pet him…" Ace began making a petting motion with his hand.

"Yeah…"

"And…I'll…RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNN!" Ace howled as he sped off.

"Yeah, that seems fair." Luffy said before realisation hit him. "Watachacha WAIT A MINUTE!" he spluttered as he ran after his brother.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU BRATS!" Garp roared as he charged after them, his nose squirting steam like a comical bull.

"Oh thanks a lot, Ace!" Luffy cursed before the brothers climbed up a nearby tree. But they hadn't been up there for more than five seconds before Garp uprooted the giant tree with his bare hands, sending Luffy and Ace falling off it and back to the ground as they continued to run.

"Run faster, Luffy!" Ace said as they picked up speed and found themselves running back into town.

"Why'd you leave me back there?! Are you still mad at me cause of that restaurant thing?!" Luffy asked angrily.

"Does that even matter right now?!" Ace barked.

"HEY THERE THEY ARE!" the boys stopped in surprise to see none other than the staff from the restaurant they bailed on just a few feet away.

"When'd they get there?!" Luffy gaped.

"You must've jinxed us!" Ace before they turned a corner, the staff and Garp in hot pursuit. As they ran down one of the streets, they saw to their shock more staff forma different restaurant blocking their path.

"We've got you this time!" one of them said, but at that moment, Luffy and Ace both split apart and ran into the doors of the buildings on either side of the street. A womanly scream sounded from within the building Ace was in before the brothers came out of another set of doors behind the crowd of staff.

"Sorry about that, Ma'am. Enjoy the rest of your shower." Ace apologised as they continued to run, the confused staff behind then looked back to see Garp charging towards them before he trampled over then like a boulder leaving them flat as pancakes. The boys kept running before they ran up some stairs and found themselves on top of one of the buildings. They looked over the edge to see two barrels of water at the bottom.

"I'll bet we can make that." Luffy said. The two looked back to see Garp and the angry mob of restaurant staff almost catching up.

"Fifty berries, says we can't." Ace replied, before they jumped.

"GERONIMO~!" Luffy yelled as they fell before with a **SPLASH!** They landed in the barrels, unharmed. "You lose." Pling! Ace tossed a coin into Luffy's barrel before they shut the lids, just before Garp landed in front of them looking around.

"Damn. Where are they now?!" he said as he ran off in search of his grandsons. All was quiet until Luffy spoke.

"Is it over?"

"Not till the fish jumps." Ace said. **Splish.** A fish jumped out of the water of the docks at that moment. "It's over."

"I told you it would work." Luffy grinned as they climbed out of the barrels, dripping wet, but unscathed.

"Yeah now let's get out of here. I've had enough of this town for one day." Ace said before they carried on back to the treehouse again, this time without any foul-ups.

XXX

At long last, Luffy and ace had made ti back to their treehouse and were both sitting on their futons laughing about the antics they'd partaken in today.

"Man, you were right, Luffy. This has been a great day. Thanks a million, little bro."

"Yeah I'm glad you enjoyed it." Luffy smiled, but this time Ace noticed the lack of happiness in his brother's smile.

"Hey, what's the matter, Lu?"

"Nothing."

"Come on."

"Really it's fine. I mean you're gonna be leaving tomorrow. You're starting your dream. I'm happy for you."

"…Not entirely." Ace said solemnly.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't want me to leave, do you? Not really."

"WHAT?! Of course I do. I don't want you to give up your dream for me. You gotta go! It's no big deal. We all have to grow up eventually."

"Luffy!" the boy jumped when ace shouted at him. "If you wanna cry about it, go ahead. Even a man can cry, once in a while."

"B-But you said-"

"I know what I said. But crying over missing me isn't being a cry-baby. Crying about someone stealing your ice-cream; crying over getting lost in the jungle or being chased by an animal. That's being a cry-baby. Just because I told you to stop being a baby doesn't mean I want you to stop crying all together. Your big brother's about to leave home for good. You have every right to cry over that so…just let it out. Even crying can be manly when it's warranted." Luffy stared at Ace before he began to sniff and his eyes began to well up, before the dams broke and he tackled Ace with a crushing hug and a howl like a wounded dog.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAACE~!" he wailed.

"I know, Luffy. I know." Ace said as he rubbed his back.

"Please don't go! I don't wanna be all alone for four years! Who's gonna hang out with me?! Eat with me?! Hunt with me?! Play with me?! Run away from who-knows-what with me?! I don't need to be Pirate King. Just take me with you. I'll be your first mate!"

"No way." Ace said. "You're not giving up your dream for me. I'd never forgive myself if you did. And I know it'll be tough to make it on your own, but I know someone as stubborn and determined as you can do it. And you don't need worry being alone. Cause those four years will practically fly by before you know it, and when they do you'll set out as well and start your own crew. And then you'll have a family of your own, so you won't even need me anymore."

"You really think so, Ace?" Luffy wiped his runny nose and eyes.

"I know so. Who knows, you might even get a girlfriend to 'keep you company'~." Ace snickered making a suggestive finger gesture.

"GROSS!" Luffy shouted earning a laugh from Ace in return.

"So buck up and be happy Luffy. My dream may be starting tomorrow. But yours is closer than you think."

"Thanks. I love you, Ace."

"I love you too, Luffy." Ace smiled as the two brothers shared a loving embrace, enjoying their last touching moment together as the moon shone overhead.

XXX

And so it was, that the morning did come and Luffy was there along with the mountain bandits, Makino and Woop-Slap to see Ace off with smiles as the older D brother took off into the vast East Blue in his little boat. Luffy kept waving until he'd completely disappeared beyond the horizon, before he headed back to the treehouse and ended up crying to sleep that night as the loneliness hit him with full force. A few days passed by and though Luffy began to grow accustomed to it, he still felt alone, even knowing that everything Ace said had been right before he decided to take a walk into town and spend some time at Makino's. Garp had left after all so he didn't need to worry. But as he quietly walked through the village a small lively noise reached his hears. It sounded like…barking. He followed the noise until he noticed the source of it was sitting in a box in front of an old man; A little white puppy. Luffy stared in shock at the baby animal, before his face began to break open into a smile.

"_You were right, Ace. My dream is closer than I thought._"

The end.


	20. Luffy Takes the Cake

Sanji's prepared a tasty treat for the crew which has Chopper's mouth watering. but little does the reindeer know he's about to be blamed for a crime he didn't commit.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard belongs to XfangheartX**

* * *

Tony Tony Chopper was casually strolling around the Sunny one morning when his little blue nose caught the scent of something truly tasty. He followed his nose into the kitchen where he spotted none other than Sanji. The blonde cook was currently spreading a brown sticky substance over an equally brown spongey object. Chopper's eyes widened and his mouth watered. He'd know that sweet aroma and smile bringing appearance anywhere. Sanji had baked a chocolate cake. Next to cotton candy it was Chopper's favourite sweet. The cook turned around and smirked upon seeing Chopper.

"I knew you'd show up eventually. That blue button of yours catches onto everything." He smiled.

"That looks so yummy, Sanji~!" Chopper squealed as he ran over to him. "Can I please have some?! Pleeeease~?!" he begged. Sanji chuckled petting Chopper on his hat.

"It's for after dinner, Chopper, so you're gonna have to wait. But don't worry you'll get a slice or my wanted poster isn't me. And it's not." He added grimly.

"Aww but it's not even lunch time yet. Could I have some for after lunch instead of after dinner instead? It's my favourite!"

"No, Chopper. If I cut you piece for after lunch and saved the rest it would ruin the image for when I present it after dinner."

"I guess that makes sense." Chopper said.

"Hey. You'll get it, I promise. You just need to be patient. If you ask me, sweets always taste their best when you wait for them. Just like with all food." Sanji said before he began to leave the kitchen. "I'm going out for a bit. I just need to get some toppings for the cake. And don't touch a crumb, alright?"

"I won't Sanji." Chopper said before his friend took his leave. The little reindeer took one last look at the cake as an eager smile tugged his lips. "This isn't over, cake. You're safe for now, but soon…you're going right in my tummy! That's a promise you sweet, creamy pastry!" he pointed at the cake like it was his enemy before he made his way to the sick bay. But only about ten minutes later, Luffy came wandering in and it didn't take long for him to spot the giant cake.

"CAKE!" he cried joyfully, eyes sparkling and mouth-watering. He was about to dive into the delectable dessert, when he stopped himself. "Oh no! Nami warned me several times about you!" he pointed at the cake as he began to walk away. "You are a liar! A deceiver! I'll never give in to temptation again! NEVAAAR!" he hollered as he walked out of the kitchen. Five seconds later; "Ah screw it. One nibble won't hurt me." He said as he picked off a tiny bit of the cake and popped it in his mouth. His eyes widened upon swallowing before he shed a pathetic tear of failure. "Aww crap here I go again." He moaned as his resistance broke and he began to feast.

XXX

Meanwhile, outside, Usopp had just finished working on his latest gizmo when he spotted Blizzard napping on deck. The sniper stopped to look at the large wolf-dog, when his eyes stopped to linger on the canine's snowy white fur.

"I wonder? Blizzard always lets Luffy, Nami and Chopper ride on his back, but no one else. What do the rest of us have to do to earn our seat? We're all friends here so why should the rest of us get left out?" he thought. He walked over to the snoozing Blizzard before he gently scratched his ears. Blizzard yawned and wagged his tail upon receiving the petting before he looked at Usopp curiously.

"Hey, Blizzard. You doin' alright?"

"_Well I was enjoying my nap until you woke me up. Appreciate the ear scratch though._" The wolf dog barked back.

"Say. I've always wondered what it would be like to ride you like Luffy, Nami and Chopper do. Do you think you could give you're buddy Usopp a ride?" Usopp asked. Blizzard snorted.

"_Not on your nelly. This seat's reserved for valued members only._"

"Hey what's the idea?!" Usopp asked as though he'd understood Blizzard. "What've they got that I ain't got?"

"_Well for starters they aren't full of baloney._" Blizzard muttered. "_And secondly they know I'm not a vehicle._"

"I'll have you know I've rode practically every beast known to man. You should be proud to be ridden my Captain Usopp."

"_Uh-huh, sure._" Blizzard grunted, before falling back to sleep.

"It's no use pretending to be asleep, Blizzard." Usopp said. "Come on, lighten. Just give me three minutes and you'll see you can trust me just as much as Luffy, Nami and Chopper. Heck Chopper lets me ride him and he's fine with it." Usopp said before he clambered onto Blizzard's back. "There see? Nothing to worry ab-AAAAAAAOOUUUT~!" Usopp's sentence was interrupted by Blizzard springing to his feet and began to buck his legs around like a wild horse, attempting to remove the sniper from his back. Blizzard growled with annoyance before he charged towards the railing and stopped suddenly, resulting in Usopp being launched form his back and over and into the sea.

"HEY! What's your problem?! I wasn't trying to hurt you or anything! Is one ride too much to ask?!" Blizzard just rolled his eyes and went off to continue his nap. "This isn't over!" Usopp snapped before making his way back to the Sunny to dry off.

XXX

Back in the kitchen, Luffy was sprawled across the floor groaning miserably having gained a stomach-ache from eating two thirds of the cake.

"Yep. I knew this would come back to haunt me." He moaned. But then his eyes widened in fear when he heard a familiar voice.

"I'm back, everyone!" It was Sanji.

"Oh no I'm so dead. What do I do?!" Luffy panicked; about his fate was put on hold by the voice of his fiancé.

"Sanji, would you mind manning the helm for a few minutes?" Nami asked.

"Of course, Nami dear~!" Luffy heard Sanji sing in obedience.

"Looks like Nami bought me some time. I've gotta get out of this jam. Maybe I can pretend to be sick then I won't be a suspect." He said as he hurried into the sickbay, only to find Chopper fast asleep at his desk. Luffy looked at the little reindeer for a few moments before his gaze turned back to the eaten cake and then to his chocolate covered fingers.

"_You're not seriously gonna frame him like that are ya?_" a voice asked. Luffy looked to his left to see a little replica of himself standing on his shoulder only it was garbed in a long white robe, had a pair of wings, a harp and a halo.

"Whoa when'd I ever have one of you?" Luffy asked surprised.

"_Don't listen to that fairy._" Another voice said before Luffy spotted another replica only this one was dressed in red spandex, had a long pointed tail, a pair of a horns and a trident. "_He's trying to take away your guts. I'm the one who's gonna make 'em tougher._"

"_Oh shut up._" Angel Luffy said.

"_You shut up._"

"_You._"

"_You!_"

"_You!_"

"_You infinity._" Devil Luffy smirked earning a frustrated growl form his counterpart before he turned back to Luffy. "_Listen up, gumballs; I got three good reasons why you should just go through with it. Number one: you seriously listenin' to this guy?! What kind of man plays with a baby's-first-guitar?!_"

"_We've been through this. It's a harp, and you know it._" Angel Luffy corrected.

"_Che ok. But that doesn't excuse you from being a cross dresser!_"

"_IT'S A ROBE DAMMIT!_"

"_Reason number two: look what I can do_" Devil Luffy laughed performing a handstand.

"Ooh that's neat." Luffy grinned.

"_You're missing the point!_" Angel Luffy barked shaking Luffy with his tiny hands. "_Do you honestly want Chopper to get beaten to a pulp?!_"

"Well, no of course not."

"_But he won't._" Devil Luffy spoke up. "_Sure he'll get chewed out but Sanji would never beat up that fuzzball. Everyone has a soft spot for him. Even Nami and Sanji. So what's to lose? He'll be fine._"

"Well…I guess you're right about that. I don't think I've ever seen Chopper get beaten up. Except that one time with Usopp and Carue. Hey! That's right those three framed me for stealing the food during our journey to Alabasta!"

"_Exactly! This'll be payback and then you'll both be even-Stevens._" Devil Luffy said.

"Alright, I'll do it."

"_YOU'LL BE SO-RRY~!_" Angel Luffy warned. Devil Luffy frowned at him before he pulled out a shotgun from his pocket. **BANG!** He shot the little angel off Luffy's shoulder who spiraled down to the ground moaning in pain before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"How'd you do that? Isn't he made of rubber too?" Luffy asked.

"_Just get on with it!_" Devil Luffy snapped after blowing on the barrel of his gun before vanishing in a cloud of flames. Luffy turned his attention back to Chopper and frowned before he wiped the traces of chocolate form his mouth and fingers and very carefully smeared on Chopper, so as not to wake him, before slipping out the back door of the sickbay.

XXX

"WHAT THE HELL?!" the little reindeer jerked awake with a yelp upon hearing an angry yell. He rushed out of the sickbay to find Sanji staring in horror at the remains of the cake.

"Sanji! What in the world happened?!"

"Someone just devoured nearly all of the cake!" Sanji said without looking at Chopper. "I swear when I get my hands on-" but as he turned to acknowledge Chopper, he gasped. "Chopper…what, is…that?" he asked slowly.

"What's what?" Chopper asked puzzled.

"That on your face." Chopper looked even more baffled until he wiped his mouth and as he pulled it away he gasped to see it smudged with chocolate.

"S-S-Sanji I didn't-"

"How could you?! I said you'd get cake after dinner! You thought I was lying?!"

"NO! Sanji I didn't eat it! I was in the sickbay the whole time!"

"Then how'd that mess get on your face?!"

"I…I…I DON'T KNOW! I'VE BEEN FRAMED!" Chopper panicked.

"Now I have to start all over again! Chopper...you get not snacks for a month. I'm very disappointed in you." Sanji said before turning his back. Chopper gasped in shock before his eyes began to shed tears of frustration and confusion.

"But…but…it wasn't me." He thought sadly before making his back to the sickbay sniffling. Little did he know, Luffy had seen him through the porthole and he too walked away already feeling regretful for his decision.

XXX

Meanwhile, Usopp was currently in his factory working on something which seemed to be made of leather. After pulling the last stitch into place, he revealed the object to be a saddle.

"This is sure to work." He said before heading back on deck to find Blizzard still napping. As he approached the large canine, Usopp gently placed the saddle on Blizzard's back, but then he noticed a problem: how would he strap it one with Blizzard lying down. Usopp scratched his head, before he tried to tuck on of the straps under Blizzard's stomach. But then he found he couldn't get the strap back out from under him. The sniper growled in frustration before he got an idea. He made his way around to Blizzard's front before crouching down so he was facing him.

"Roll over. Roll over, Blizzard." He said enthusiastically. The wolf-dog sleepily opened his eyes and looked at Usopp. "Come on, Blizzard. Roll over." Usopp smiled. Blizzard looked at him before he began to open his mouth. At first Usopp thought he was going to yawn but instead…Blizzard let loose a large belch sending the sniper rolling back in repulsion.

"GAH! Your breath reeks of peanuts! Can't you cover your mouth?!" he ranted.

"_No hands, genius._" Blizzard then yawned before getting up, when he felt the saddle on his back which he shook off.

"Hey hold on!" Usopp spoke up as he picked it up. "Maybe it felt uncomfortable to be ridden by me."

"_That's a way of puttin' it._" Blizzard thought.

"But if you wear this saddle I made, you won't feel a thing. It might even improve your rides with Luffy."

"_I am not wearing that horse clothing!_" Blizzard refused as he began to leave, but Usopp wasn't giving up.

"Come on don't be such a stiff!" Usopp said as he followed after him and placed the saddle on Blizzard's back with some effort. He then tried to climb on but the wolf-dog shook him off before grabbing the saddle in his mouth and dropping it on him.

"Just what is your deal?! Do I smell or something?!" but he got no reply as Blizzard wandered off. "Dammit! I am not giving up, Blizzard. You're gonna be ridden by the great Captain Usopp and like it!"

XXX

Concurrently, Luffy was making his way around the ship trying to keep calm over the strange feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach and he couldn't stop quivering.

"Luffy?"

"AHH!" the young man jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see it belonged to Nami. "Oh Nami it's just you."

"Are you alright? You look rather jumpy."

"Jumpy? Nope not me!" Luffy said quickly.

"Are you sure? Maybe you should see Chopper." Nami recommended.

"NO! I mean no thanks I'm fine. I just…need to take a rest." Luffy said, before taking his leave, Nami herself looking confused.

XXX

Luffy was now nestled in the safety of his Nami's love nest and needless to say he wasn't feeling too well. Not only was his stomach hurting but it wasn't just from the cake. It seemed the guilt of framing Chopper was starting to kick in. the Captain was currently trying to sleep off the stomach-ache but all it was giving him was bad dreams.

~_Dream sequence_~

Chopper was standing before the crew who were all glaring at him with crossed arms.

"How could you, Chopper?! We thought you were better than this!" Nami said.

"You of all people never stole from your friends. But I guess that isn't the case anymore." Usopp said with deep disappointment.

"But I didn't steal the cake!" Chopper begged, teary eyed.

"If you didn't do it, who did?!" Sanji demanded.

"I…I…"

"Sorry, Chopper. But like I said before we can't have untrustworthy members in this crew." Zoro said coldly. "You're banished." Both Luffy and Chopper gasped in pure shock and fear.

"NO! You can't decide who leaves! I'm the Captain!" Luffy shouted but no one seemed to hear as poor little Chopper gathered an assortment of items into a white handkerchief with red spots and tied it to a stick before slinging it over his shoulder and began to head towards the gangplank. He stopped and looked back at the crew.

"Blizzard?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't want a thief as my little brother." The wolf dog replied shamefully as Chopper began to sob and walked away.

"NO, CHOPPER, DON'T GO!" Luffy cried as he ran after his doctor to try and stop him, but as he did the ground began to crumble beneath his feet and he fell screaming towards a dark raging ocean where a sea king was waiting for him, jaws open and ready to devour him. The Captain tried to move his hands but found them bound by sea stone cuffs and he yelled in fear as he fell into the beast's mouth.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

~_End of Dream sequence_~

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Luffy sat bolt upright with a scream to find himself back in his room, sweating and breathing heavily. "I don't know how to deal with this~!" he moaned miserably.

XXX

Back with Usopp, the sniper had come up with one last plan to successfully ride Blizzard, and luckily for him the wolf-dog was in the right position for him to carry out his plan. Using some rope and metal, Usopp had constructed a winch to lower himself and the saddle onto Blizzard and once he had a hold of him there'd be no shaking him off.

"Sheesh, has he slept through the whole story?" he wondered, before he checked the rope was secure. "I'll need to be quick. Once I land on him he'll be up and running. And then he'll see what a good rider I am." Usopp snickered as he began to lower himself down from the balcony. "On three. One, two…three!" with that Usopp let himself fall. Btu as he did…Blizzard rolled over and out of the way resulting in Usopp hitting the deck with a **Splat!**

"Dammit! Why'd he have to roll over now?!" he cursed, but his rant was interrupted when Blizzard yawned rolled over again. This time right on top of the poor Usopp, trapping him beneath his big, furry body with only his nose sticking out to breathe.

"Oh I give up." He muffled in defeat.

XXX

After all that, dinner eventually came, and as Luffy sat with his crew at the table he just didn't feel comfortable one bit. So much so, that he didn't even enjoy the meat he'd had. And he only felt worse when he saw Chopper looking sad as well.

"Alright everyone. Glad you enjoyed your meal. But I hope you saved room for dessert." Sanji said as he held up a large covered object which the Straw-hats minus Luffy and Chopper 'oohed' at. Upon unveiling, Sanji revealed the object to be…a new cake. Luffy gripped the table really tight upon seeing it and his stomach tightened even more.

"Wow! Sanji that looks yummy!" Nami gaped.

"You've really outdone yourself with this one, bro!" Franky grinned.

"Simply delectifying~! I'm gonna need more tea to get my teeth through that!" Brook chortled.

"I do my best." Sanji smiled. "So who's first? Luffy?" he offered but then noticed his Captain was shaking violently. "Hey? You ok?" Luffy trembled even more when he heard the little voice again.

"_You're in too deep. Don't tell the truth now." Devil Luffy said. "Chopper'll be fine. Just keep lying and everything'll-_"

"STOP IT! **STOP IIIIIIIIIT~!**" Luffy roared shocking everyone in the room as he twitched and jerked violently. "GAH D-DON'T YA HEAR IT?!"

"Luffy?!" Nami asked just as shocked.

"Yes! I admit it! I did it! I did it! **I, TOOK, THE CAKE!**" Luffy pointed to himself, while pulling a strange face as he did.

"You did?" Zoro asked.

"YE-HE-HES! I tried not to! But I just couldn't win! It was too good! And when I heard Sanji come back I was terrified so I hid in the sickbay and found Chopper sleeping there! Then this little winged me popped up and then this little horned me popped up! And then they started fighting and doing hand stands and insulting each other!" by this point the crew were all completely baffled by Luffy beyond bizarre confession.

"The horned me said I should frame Chopper and he said he wouldn't get in trouble cause Sanji would never beat up Chopper! And then he said he deserved it cause of how Chopper, Usopp and Carue got me in trouble back in Alabasta. And then he got a gun and shot the winged me! So I put chocolate on Chopper's face! My stomach wouldn't stop hurting! And then I had a dream you were all going to banish him for stealing the cake! I'M SORRY! But I can't take it anymore! The little mes won't shut up a-"

"LUFFY!" the Captain stopped when he heard Sanji and looked to see the chef staring at him surprisingly with a straight face. "What you're saying is you ate the cake and framed Chopper so you wouldn't get in trouble? Right?"

"YES! It's all true! Just do it! Kick me, mince me, cook me! I don't care just DO IT! I can't take it anymore!" Luffy said throwing himself at Sanji's feet in submission.

"No." Luffy looked shocked as he stared up Sanji.

"N…No?!"

"To be honest…I kind've knew it was you all along." Sanji said.

"**YOU DID?!**" Both Luffy and Chopper said.

"Yeah. I found it hard to believe Chopper could eat two thirds of that cake and not even get a stomach ache. I saw you outside watching us, so I decided to place the blame on him only for a while so I could give you time to come to your senses and own up. I wanted to give you a chance to learn your lesson…and it looks like you did. Albeit in a downright looney way." He murmured the last part.

"But…But why didn't you just come and force me to confess like you've done before?" Luffy asked.

"If you'd just taken the cake that would be one thing. But come on, Luffy I know you. And I know you wouldn't be able to frame one of your crew, your friends at that, for very long. So I decided to leave you alone and hope you'd prove me right and you did. Your confession is plenty of an apology for me, and I forgive you." Luffy gazed at his friend in complete bewilderment. "However, you haven't apologised to Chopper yet." Luffy quickly turned to the reindeer who looked just as shocked as he was.

"Chopper. I'm so SO sorry! I thought since everyone has a soft spot for you, you wouldn't get hurt. But now I see that you being blamed for something you didn't do hurt even more than any physical injury. Can you ever forgive me?" Chopper looked at his Captain before hopping down from his chair and running over to give him a big hug.

"Of course I forgive you, Luffy. You're my big brother too and I'm so happy you told the truth." He smiled as Luffy returned the hug.

"I love you, little buddy."

"I love you too, Luffy." Chopper beamed.

"Despite everything, Luffy you're not going unpunished." Sanji spoke up. "I'm placing Chopper's 'punishment' on you. No snacks, especially sweets, for a whole month."

"Agreed. I'm sick of sweets." Luffy said.

"And now, Chopper, I think you've waited long enough for this." Sanji then smiled before cutting Chopper a nice big slice of the cake, earning a big grin of glee from the little reindeer.

XXX

After dinner, Blizzard made his way out onto the deck when he spotted Usopp sitting by the mast with his back turned.

"_What's he up to now?_" Blizzard wondered as he padded over toward Usopp. But much to wolf-dog's surprise he found Usopp sniffling

"Why?! Why can't I gain his trust?! I can ride Chopper like a pro. Hell if it weren't for me he never would've found Nami in time back when we fought Shiki. She'd be a vegetable."

"He rode Chopper to save Nami back in the Strong World?" Blizzard thought.

"It's not like I'd smack with a crop or kick him in the sides like a horse! I just thought it'd be awesome to ride someone as fast and strong as him!" Usopp continued talking to himself, as his eyes began to water. "But I guess that's just too much to ask form that stubborn old fleabag!"

"_Damn, he's right. I am a stubborn mutt._" Blizzard thought a little ashamed. But then he smiled before padding off. Usopp sat there for a few minutes, close to tears, before he felt something nudge him on the shoulder. He looked over his shoulder to see Blizzard standing there, smiling and wearing the saddle eh made for him.

"Blizzard? You mean…I can ride you?!" Usopp asked hopefully. Blizzard smiled and nodded, before the sniper enveloped him in a hug. "You're the best, Blizz! You won't be sorry, buddy." Blizzard barked and licked Usopp's face before lying down so he could get on his back. "Let's ride!" and with a howl Blizzard took off from the ship.

XXX

The night drawing near, Luffy and Chopper were on their way to bed, when suddenly their path was blocked by Nami.

"Luffy. I'm surprised at you."

"I know. I deserve it." Luffy said solemnly.

"You misunderstand. I'm not just surprised you framed Chopper over a stupid cake, but I'm also surprised you came to your senses so quickly and told the truth. And I'm really glad you did. You're too good to be a framer. After all I could never marry a man who'd place blame on his friends. So thank you for coming clean." She smiled.

"Yeah it'll never happen again, Nami. Cross my heart." Luffy said tracing his scar with his finger, Nami returning the motion.

"However. Like Sanji said, you aren't going unpunished." She said.

"Oh come on, don't beat him up. I've forgiven him, Sanji's forgiven him. You must be able to too." Chopper defended.

"Of course I'm not gonna beat him up. That's too predictable." Nami said. "You see, Luffy. There's this thing that some wives do to their husbands when they've done something foolish. What they do is, they deprive their partner from spending the night with them so they can think about what they've done and make sure it never happens again. It's called 'sleeping on the couch'."

"You mean I'm sleeping without you?" Luffy asked.

"Yep. That means no kissing, no cuddling and especially no time with my girls for you tonight, Mister." Nami said folding her arms under her breasts upon saying the last part. "Unfortunately, we don't have a couch, so you're going to have to sleep in the men's quarters."

"But Franky removed me and Zoro's bunks to build the beds for our rooms with you and Robin. There'll be no bunks for me to sleep in." Luffy said.

"Oh yes there will." Nami smirked. "Cause you're gonna be switching with someone." Nami said before she picked up Chopper, much to both his and Luffy's surprise.

"You…You don't mean-"

"Oh yes. While you stay in the men's room, Chopper gets to sleep with me." Nami winked sticking her tongue out. "Sweet dreams, Gummy bear~!" she cooed before taking her leave, leaving Luffy dumbstruck at what'd just happened.

XXX

And sure enough, Chopper was surprised to find himself now in Luffy's large king sized bed, with Nami lying next to him. But then his eyes widened.

"Wait a minute. You're not gonna do all that stuff that Luffy isn't getting to me are you?!" he panicked, imagining Luffy chasing him down in a rage and accusing him of flirting with his girlfriend.

"Not if you don't want me to~." Nami smiled teasingly at Chopper before pouting. "But does that mean you don't want a cuddle from your big sister~?" she asked with fake sadness.

"D-Don't cry, Nami. I just don't want Luffy to think I'm hitting on you!" Chopper panicked. Nami giggled before pulling him into a hug.

"You dummy. I'm just teasing you." She smirked, gently poking his little blue nose. "And don't worry. Giving your big Sis a hug won't make Luffy mad, unless you're Sanji in which case you'd be outta luck." The pair laughed before Nami kissed him on the cheek. "Good night, Chopper."

"Nigh-night, Nami." Chopper said, returning her hug.

XXX

Meanwhile in the men's quarters, Luffy was now lying in Chopper's empty bunk, pondering.

"Man. Nami made you switch with Chopper. Rough." Franky commented.

"Why wasn't it me who got framed~?!" Sanji whined.

"Give it up." Luffy said.

"Say. Has anyone seen Usopp and Blizzard?" Brook piped up.

"Yeah. Now that you mention it, they aren't here." Franky realised.

"Where could they be?" Luffy wondered.

XXX

"YEEEEAAAAHHH! I'M KING OF THE WORLD! WOO-HOO-WOOOOOOOO~!" Usopp cheered as he rode Blizzard with nothing but excitement and inner pride as Blizzard jumped over a large gorge and darted around several trees.

"_Well how about that. He's actually pretty good._" The wolf-dog thought. "_Looks like he wasn't lying when he said he could ride wild animals._" He smirked as the pair of friends galloped off into the night, howling, together, intending to return by sunrise.

The End


	21. Boat Alone

Aika and Kumi find themselves in a pickle when they're tasked with defendign their knew home, the Thousand Sunny from a pair of bandits.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard, Aika and Kumi belong to XfangheartX**

* * *

As the thousand Sunny came to a slow halt as she pulled up to the shore of the latest island Nami had led her to in the middle of the afternoon (Green Cove was its name), the crew prepared to head into town to go about their usual of business of gathering supplies, finding the log time length and eventually getting into trouble, thanks to Luffy mainly. Of course there were only three crew members who would be staying behind. They were Blizzard, being the guard dog it was his duty, and the newest members of the crew; Aika, Luffy's little half-sister, and her puppy, Kumi. Even though she wanted to come, the Straw Hats though it best for her to stay on the ship so the marines wouldn't find her due to the fact that a base was manned at this particular island. Until then she'd stay with Blizzard, which did lift her spirits since she loved spending time with the gentle giant wolf-dog. Well, gentle to the crew at least...except Brook's bones and Franky's backside.

"Now remember, Aika. You can go anywhere you like on the ship, and Sanji's left you, Kumi and Blizzard plenty of food to eat." Nami said.

"And don't worry about washing up. The food I chose isn't messy so the dishes should be no problem for me when I get back." Sanji reassured so Aika wouldn't have to worry about cleaning.

"And of course if anything goes wrong, just give us a call on the transponder snail and we'll come a-runnin'." Luffy said.

"We'll be fine, Luffy. Take care!" Aika said, blowing a kiss to her big brother who 'caught' it in his hand, grinning.

"We will. See you later, Aika!" he waved, as did the rest of the crew, before taking their leave. The little pirate girl smiled as she watched them go before climbing down from the railing and turning to Blizzard and Kumi.

"You wanna play tag?" she asked the two dogs.

"_Sure! I could use a run around!_" Kumi yipped.

"_Count me in._" Blizzard smiled.

"Ok! You're it, Blizzard!" Aika said poking the wolf-dog on the nose before changing into her wolf form and bounding off, with Kumi in tow, both pups giggling like monkeys.

"Oh you two are in for it now!" Blizzard smirked before taking off after them.

XXX

The Straw Hat's casually sauntered down the streets of the town, going about their merry way. But little did they know that just out of the corner of their eyes, two men were watching them. They were Jervis and Harley, the back alley bandits. Jervis was a slightly short person (about a foot lower than the average man) wearing a waist coat and a rather tall hat, whilst Harley was much taller (almost Brook's height) garbed in a pair of grubby trousers, a trench coat and a black beanie cap. As they watched the crew of ragtag pirates go by, Jervis, also the self-appointed leader of the duo, tapped Harley's arm to get his attention.

"Did you see that, Harley?"

"Yeah, Boss. That there was the Straw Hats."

"Damn straight. A bunch of thieves to be admired if ever there were any. And if they're here in town, you know what that means." Jervis smirked.

"They're going shopping?" Harley answered dimly.

"Yeah they're going sho-NO! No you bonehead!" Jervis snapped jumping up to bop Harley on the chin (due to his height). "It means they're ship must be nearby and what do all pirate ships have?"

"A jolly roger?"

"TREASURE! And lots of it! And with the crew all in town right now, that means their ship's unguarded. It's the perfect opportunity to swipe their booty!"

"Well I'm all for swiping booty, Boss. But won't they just come back and catch us before we can steal it all? We can't fight Straw Hat Luffy and his ship of foals."

"Fools, Harley, fools. And no, we can't. But that's why I have a plan." Jervis grinned. "Let's give the Marines a ring, shall we?"

"Duh, but Boss, we're criminals. We can't call the Marines or we'll be arrested." Harley said.

"OH SHUT UP AND GET ME A SNAIL!"

XXX

At the nearby marine base, one of the soldiers sat at his desk with his head in his hand, bored out of his skull. But just then, he was broken out of his slump, by the 'belliping' of his transponder snail.

"Hello, Marine Base of Green Cove Island." He said.

"**Hey. I've got some info you might wanna hear.**" A voice said.

"You don't say. And that information would be…?" the marine asked in curious suspicion.

"**The fact that the Straw Hat Pirates are here on this island.**" The snail smirked back.

"THE STRAW HATS?! HERE?!"

"**Yep! Me and my partner saw 'em this afternoon in town. Take a battalion of your boys and surround the area. There'll be no way out for 'em! You know?**"

"Indeed. And just where is their ship, Sir?"

"**We don't know yet. But we're gonna go check it out. The whole crew's in town so don't worry about us. You fellas just focus on catching those Straw Hats and puttin' 'em where hats belong: on a rack!**" the marine chuckled a little at the pun.

"Thanks for the message. You and your friend will be paid handsomely for this, I assure you."

"**That's the idea.**" The snail said. **KOCHIP!** With that it fell asleep.

As you all would've guessed, it was none other than Jervis who sent that message and as he hung up his snail that Harley was holding he grinned wickedly.

"Bingo. Now that we've set those stuff shirts up to catch the Straw Hats, we can loot the ship without a worry in the world."

"Um, don't you mean care, Boss?" Harley asked.

"Of course not! You've just been getting it wrong, like you always do!" Jervis snapped, denying that his partner was actually right this time. "But forget about that! Let's go find that ship. And after we've raided it dry, we'll slap on some disguises and go collect that big ass bounty to boot! This is gonna be our masterpiece, Harley!"

"But we aren't painters, Boss." Harley said, earning a frustrated sigh from Jervis.

XXX

Back on the Sunny, Aika and Kumi were on the run from Blizzard who was playfully chasing the pair around the boat. The white hound bounded after them, before with a flying leap, he jumped clean over them and landed right in front of them. The two pups laughed in surprise as they clumsily turned around to run the over way, but Blizzard managed to trap their tails with his front paws, leaving them running on the spot.

"Hey no fair!" Aika said.

"_So who's gonna be it?_" Blizzard smirked as he looked back and forth between the two, before he tapped Kumi on the head. "_You are!_"

"_I'm gonna get you, Blizzard!_" Kumi yipped as she started chasing him and Aika, the three hounds enjoying their time to the fullest, but little did they know they'd be heading for trouble soon.

XXX

Going back to town, the Straw Hats were nearly finished gathering their supplies. Nami was just about to enter another nearby boutique, when she spotted a marine soldier close by. Instinctively she ducked behind a wall, but kept within ears reach so she could listen.

"Have any of you seen the Straw Hat pirates? We received word they were on this island." The marine said.

"_Crap. I gotta tell the others and get back to the Sunny._" Nami thought before hurrying away from the scene before she found the others.

"Hey Nami, what's happening?" Luffy asked.

"We're in trouble, guys! Someone ratted us out to marines and they're looking for us!" Nami said.

"Oh for crying out loud." Zoro huffed.

"Well what are we standing around for?! Back to the ship!" Usopp pointed to the shore.

"Hold on, Usopp." Robin said before closing her eyes. "Ojos Fleur." She kept her eyes closed for about a minute before she opened them again. "This isn't good. The marines have completely surrounded the town. Our only route back to the ship is completely cut off."

"What?!" the crew shouted.

"What are we supposed to do now?! We can't stay here!" Usopp squawked.

"Let's just fight our way through! We can take them!" Luffy said.

"No, Luffy. This island has a marine base. If they spot us, even if we escape, they'll contact the closest base after this one and have them send battleships after us. We can't afford to be spotted." Nami said.

"So what's the plan then?" Zoro asked.

"Well it may work for us…But Aika's definitely not going to like it." Nami murmured, worriedly.

XXX

Meanwhile back on the ship, Aika, Kumi and Blizzard were in the middle of eating the snacks that Sanji had left for them. Aika was munching on some of her favourite cookies, while Kumi was enjoying a few pieces of chicken and Blizzard was neck deep in a jar of peanut butter…literally.

"Be careful, Blizzard, or you'll get your head stuck again. Nami said next time she caught you eating that much you'd get no more for two weeks."

"_I'll be fine, Aika._" Blizzard said pulling his face out, revealing it to be covered in the brown sticky butter. "_Besides, I always burn off any calories I get from eating this heavenly spread._" he smiled before putting his head back in the jar. Aika smiled and shook her head before going back to eating. But it was at that moment they stopped eating, when they heard an unusual yet familiar noise.

**BELLIP-BELLIP-BELLIP! BELLIP-BELLIP-BELLIP! BELLIP-BELLIP-BELLIP! BELLIP-BELLIP-BELLIP!**

"The transponder snail!" Aika said as she hurried over to it. "Do you think it's safe?"

"_Don't worry. The snail would start crying if the call was coming from someone we didn't know._" Blizzard reassured before Aika picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"**Aika? Are you there, sweetie? It's Nami.**" The snail said.

"Hi Big Sis. Are you guys on your way back?" Aika asked hopefully.

"**Well…I'm afraid we have a bit of a problem.**" Nami said.

"P-Problem?" Aika jittered slightly not liking the feeling she was getting one little bit.

"**You see, someone in town ratted us out to the marines. They're looking for us.**"

"WHAT?!" Aika cried, frightened immediately.

"**It's alright. We managed to sneak into the forest undetected. Franky built us a small cabin and I shrouded it with my mirage tempo, so we won't be found. We're going to stay here until the marines give up the search. Unfortunately, this means you're going to have to stay on the ship all night.**"

"All…night…alone?" Aika said, trembling.

"**Now sweetheart, don't panic. We hid Sunny well so the marines won't find her. All you have to do is stay where you are. There's plenty more food for you and if it makes you feel safer you can use Luffy and my bedroom to keep yourself, Kumi and Blizzard secure. But whatever you do, don't worry. Just keep each other safe and we'll be back in the morning to set sail.**"

"…Ok, Nami. I trust you, Big Sis."

"**Alright, see you in the morning Little Sis. Love you.**"

"Love you too. Give the others hugs and kisses for me." Aika said sweetly.

"**Well I think I'll only be able to give Luffy the latter or he'll get jealous.**" Nami smirked, earning a giggle from Aika. "**And Blizzard. Keep her safe and sound. We're all counting on you. You too, Kumi.**"

**Ruff-Ruff!** The dogs barked in reply before Nami hung up. KOCHIP! Aika put the receiver back down before she shivered a little.

"_Are you okay, Aika?_" Kumi asked, pressing her nose against her Master's leg concernedly. Aika petted her before giving her a hug.

"I know they said they'd be back by morning. But just the thought of them trapped there and marines everywhere it's just…" Aika couldn't finish her sentence as she trembled and let out a frightened squeak. Blizzard nudged her head to get her attention before he gave her a tender doggy kiss on the cheek.

"_Don't worry. I'll be right here._" He said gently. Aika sniffed before letting go of Kumi so she could bury her face in Blizzard's neck as the wolf-dog nuzzled her back comfortingly. "_**Poor little squirt. She only just got her family back and now the thought of losing them again is tearing her up, despite knowing how strong they are.**_" He thought as Kumi joined in the comforting hug. But unbeknownst to them. Not too far away, Jervis and Harley had managed to make it to the cove after spending an hour and a half searching for the Sunny. After climbing over some large rocks and into a cave, they found the ship of dreams in a small cove, cleverly hidden from any prying eyes, except for theirs now that is.

"Look. There it is." Jervis grinned upon seeing the ship. "And those stupid marines haven't found it either."

"So we just climb aboard and steal everything, right, Boss?" Harley asked.

"Just like we always do." Jervis grinned back as they began to make their way towards the ship. But as they got closer, they spotted something they weren't expecting: it was Blizzard pacing across the deck of the ship. Thinking fast, the goons dived behind a rock, and luckily for them their scent was being blown downwind, so they wouldn't be smelled out by the guard dog.

"Damn. I completely forgot about White Wolf. He's their guard dog." Jervis cursed on his mistake.

"I didn't forget. I figured he might be here." Harley said.

"What?! You suspected he'd been left behind?!"

"Well sure I did, Boss."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Jervis barked.

"Well you said the whole crew was in town, so I figured White Wolf might be somewhere else in town. Maybe at a pet store or something."

"You idiot!" Jervis snapped, bopping his dim partner. "Now we need a new plan, so we don't become that mutt's chew toys."

"But what can we do?" Harley asked. Jervis peeked from behind the rock when he spotted Blizzard eating some more peanut butter out of his jar. The bandit rubbed his chin in thought before he got an idea.

"Harley? I need you to go back to town and buy some peanut butter. And make sure it's the strongest kind."

"What are we having a picnic, Boss?"

"No. But White Wolf will be. Or let's say a midnight snack." Jervis grinned.

XXX

After a few minutes of waiting, Harley returned to the ship holding a large jar of peanut butter, with the words 'extra peanuts' on the label.

"Excellent." Jervis smiled as he took the jar. "Now just wait for me. I'm going through the back window." He said before he trotted over to the Sunny and hoisted himself through the porthole, before finding himself in Luffy and Nami's room. He searched around the room before he found what he was looking for: a key. He grinned at it before he placed the jar of peanut butter on the bed and opened the lid, closely followed by the door, before pulling his hat off and fanning the jar to spread the scent and then quickly jumping out the porthole.

"You did it, Boss?" Harley asked when he saw him.

"Oh yeah. Now we just watch and wait." Jervis smirked as they observed Blizzard who was lying on deck keeping watch, when his ears suddenly pricked up and he sniffed the air. Getting up, he padded into Zoro and Robin's room and down the hatch into the lower part of the ship. He followed the salty sweet scent before arriving at Luffy and Nami's open door. Upon entering he spotted the giant jar of extra peanuty peanut butter. His eyes popped and jaw dropped.

"_Sweet Mother Amaterasu! The last time I saw PB like that was my birthday! Has Luffy been hiding a jar of it from me all this time?! Well his luck just ran out._" Blizzard smirked before he bounded other to the jar and began to feast. But at that moment, he heard someone clearing their throat and as he lifted his head, with his mouth still in the jar, he saw Jervis and Harley standing in the doorway.

"Enjoy your snack, White Wolf. We'll just take all your crew's belongings for payment." The former sneered, before he began to close the door. Instinctively Blizzard bolted towards it, but was a second too late as he slammed into it as it shut in his face before he heard the clicking of it locking him in. And if that wasn't bad enough, he had been carrying the jar whilst running and by slamming into the door, had caused it to go right onto his head.

"_SON OF MY MOTHER! NOT AGAIN!_" he roared. "_This is bad! Aika and Kumi are in trouble! I gotta get out of here!_" he panicked as he began scratching at the door, whining with frustration and worry.

"_DAMMIT! Why did it have to be a doorknob?!_"

XXX

Back in the kitchen, Aika and Kumi were putting away the dishes after eating their snacks. Even though Sanji said he'd wash up, they thought it'd be nice to have them cleaned so he wouldn't have to deal with them in the morning. But as they were about to leave they heard Jervis and Harley talking outside and their shadows drawing near towards the kitchen door. The girls gasped and dived under the table cloth, just before the crooks entered.

"What'd I tell you, Harley? Piece of cake, right? Now that White Wolf's all locked up, he won't stop us from robbing the Straw Hat's blind. And best of all, we have the only key so he ain't going nowhere." Aika and Kumi looked at each other with shock before going back to listening.

"So where should we start looting, Boss?"

"Well that room we locked White Wolf in looked rather pricey. But I guess we'll have to leave it since he's pretty much guarding it now. Let's try that room downstairs by the deck." Jervis said before the pair left the kitchen towards the aquarium bar. When they were sure they were gone, Aika and Kumi came out from under the table.

"What do we do, Kumi?! Those robbers are gonna steal all our treasure and they've locked up Blizzard!" Aika whispered loudly.

"_I don't know! But we can't just stand here and let them rob us! We've got to do something!_"

"But what if they have guns?! Or knives?! Nami told us to stay safe!"

"_I didn't say we had to fight them. But maybe we can scare them away._" Kumi wondered.

"We're just kids! They won't be scared of us." Aika argued.

"_Not if they don't know we're kids._" Kumi smiled.

"Whaddya mean?" Aika asked before Kumi whispered in her ear causing the little girl to giggle. "I like it."

XXX

Down in the aquarium bar, Jervis and Harley were looking around form something to steal, but had found nothing of the sort.

"Damn. There's nothing here but fish and booze. There's nothing here worth stealing." Jervis cursed.

"Maybe we should go back to that room we were in. I saw another door at the back of it." Harley suggested.

"Hey you're right. For once." Jervis muttered before they did just that and hurried back to the kitchen. But as they got closer to the door, they heard a deep growling noise which made them come to a stop.

"What was that growling, Boss?" Harley asked.

"Probably just White Wolf bitching. Just ignore him." Jervis said.

"B-But then…what's that?" Harley pointed. Jervis turned around but suddenly found his tongue tied from what he saw. Inside the door, a large, dark, wolf-shaped shadow could be seen through the window and it was letting out a low, ominous growl. The two robbers shook upon seeing the size of it. Whatever it was, it was so big its entire body was taller than the door, and its head was completely out of sight. The hound growled fiercely again before it began to run towards the door intending to burst through it, barking wildly with killer intent. As expected, the thieves screamed in horror and turned them roundabout before they bolted off the ship and ran for cover. Of course, the reality of the situation was revealed, when Aika and Kumi came pattering out of the kitchen, giggling. The former was holding a torch and a rolled up card funnel. To explain, Aika had growled and barked into the funnel to sound like a big bad dog, while shining the torch on Kumi to make her shadow look bigger, creating an illusion to scare off Jervis and Harley.

"It worked, Kumi. We did it." Aika laughed, hugging her best friend. But then she realised something. "Oh no! They took the key!"

"_Blizzard!_" Kumi remembered before the pups dashed down to Luffy and Nami's room.

"Blizzard! Blizzard! Can you hear us?! Say something if you can!" Aika called.

"_Aika! Kumi! You're alright?!_" they heard Blizzard's muffled voice.

"We're fine Blizzard! We scared off those burglars, but they'll probably be back. And they ran off with the key too!" Aika explained.

"_Damn! And Franky's the only one with the spare key._"

"Don't worry, Blizzard. You'll be out as soon as the others get back." Aika reassured.

"_But those bad guys might come back and I can't protect you._"

"It's ok. I'll call Big Brother and tell him it's an emergency." Aika said before she ran back to the kitchen but gasped in horror at what she saw upon arriving. The cord to the Transponder Snail's receiver had been severed, and the snail was out cold. Wasting no time, she dashed back to Blizzard and Kumi.

"They cut the line to the Transponder Snail! I can't call Luffy or the others!" she panicked, running her hands through her hair.

"_What do we do?! Those crooks are gonna come back and steal everything! They might even try to kill us!_" Kumi whined.

"_No they won't._" Blizzard spoke up.

"What? What do you mean, Blizzard?" Aika asked.

"_You and Kumi have to defend the ship._" The girls stared in shock at the locked door as though they could see Blizzard through it.

"Are you out of your tree?! We can't fight those guys!" Aika said.

"_I never said that! Listen, Aika, you may be a little girl, but you're also Luffy's sister and that means you have what he has; guts, will and the determination to protect what you care about. You may not have his strength, yet, but you do have something else of his; imagination. That can be more powerful than any weapon if used properly. And I know you can use it to string those scumbags up on the ropes. But only if you have faith in yourself._" Aika stood there, digesting the wolf-dog's words, before she straightened her eyebrows in determination.

"You're right, Blizzard! I may be little, but I'm a Straw Hat too! And I'm not alone either, cause I have Kumi here to help me. And you too. Even if you're stuck in there."

"_Are you sure about this, Aika?_" Kumi asked.

"We don't have a choice. If we run away, we'd not only be abandoning Blizzard and Sunny, but we'd run straight into the marines too. And I'm not doing either of those." Kumi looked at her before putting on a serious face of her own.

"_Then I'm with you._" She said. Aika smiled before looking at the door again.

"Don't worry, Blizzard. We're gonna protect Sunny and keep her safe and sound until the others get back."

"_Just promise me you'll stay safe, Aika._" Blizzard replied.

"I will, I promise."

"_And me too. I'll protect her too._" Kumi added.

"_Well good luck girls. Even though I'm stuck I'll try and figure a way out of here._" The girls nodded before scampering off.

"_So where are we going?_" Kumi asked.

"To Usopp's factory and Franky's workshop. They'll have everything we need." Aika smiled, while Kumi gave a curious yet puzzled expression. "This is our ship. We have to defend it."

XXX

Meanwhile, Jervis and Harley were standing about a mile away from the Sunny panting heavily, still recovering from the shock of 'the beast' they'd just seen.

"Did you see the size of that thing?!" Jervis asked. "It was probably twice as big as White Wolf."

"We were lucky to get away, Boss." Harley replied. "But does this mean we're giving up the looting?"

"Of course not! We just need to be careful. We'll go back and bait the other dog with food and lock it in another room like we did with White Wolf." Jervis said. "Come on, let's go." He added before they made the journey back towards the ship.

XXX

Back at the Sunny, Aika and Kumi were busying themselves with their crafty plan to protect their new home. The pair dashed around the ship setting up all the items they'd gathered, mainly form Usopp's factory and Franky's workshop. Until when everything was ready, the girls placed themselves in the kitchen, awaiting the enemy. When they heard Jervis and Harley's voices, Aika turned to Kumi and nodded. The pup nodded back before she and Aika hurried out the doggy door and onto the deck. At that moment, Jervis and Harley were nearing the ship when they spotted the girls 'playing' with each other on deck before they scurried back into the kitchen.

"Hey, was that a little girl and a puppy?" Harley asked.

"…Yeah. Yes it was." Jervis answered, surprised, before he smiled. "Looks like we were duped."

"What do you mean, Boss? If a little girl's there, one of the Straw Hats must be too."

"Oh no, Harley. She's home alone." Jervis said.

"You mean that big scary dog was just that puppy?"

"That's right. Looks like she tricked us. But, now we know what's really happening." Jervis said.

"We're not gonna kill her are we?" Harley asked, in what seemed to be a worried tone.

"We won't even need to fight her. If she gets in our way we'll just send her to her room, right? Hahahaha!" Jervis laughed, though Harley didn't seem to get the joke, as the bandits climbed on board and sauntered over to the kitchen door, before Jervis casually knocked on it.

"Hello~? Little lady? We know you're there. And we know you're aaall alone." Jervis cooed.

"That's creepy, Boss."

"We're the bad guys! Whaddya expect?!" Jervis snapped back before turning to the door. "Now come on, girl. All we want is to steal the ship's treasure. Just let us in and there'll be no trouble." Little did he know that Kumi was very slowly opening the doggy door to give Aika a clear shot at her target. The girl herself was lying on her tummy, armed with Usopp's old Ginga Pachinko which was loaded with a lead star.

"Now be a good little girl, and open the do-" **Twang! Pew!** Jervis sentence was cut off by an extremely painful sudden shot to his knackers and the sound of his voice going up by at least twenty pitches. "-OOOOOOOOOOOAAA~! $£^%&amp;*? #~!" Jervis began sputtering garbled, angry gibberish as he began to jump around the deck and crumple to his knees both at the same time. Harley looked at partner, confused before getting down on all fours and poking his head through the doggy door, only to be met by Aika's smiling face and Usopp's slingshot.

"Hi~." She greeted before firing a round red pellet at Harley's face, which splatted on contact right between his eyes. At first he seemed unfazed, before he immediately yanked his head out of the doggy door just as a stream of fire burst from his sockets.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH! IT BURNS!" he screamed as he ran around in circles and stopped dropped and rolled. Jervis, meanwhile had managed to shakily get to his feet, panting heavily.

"That little brat." He hissed. "She's got balls, huh? Harley get up!" he snapped at his partner who pulled himself up, sobbing and teary-bloodshot-eyed.

"She has weapons Boss? What do we do?"

"It's just a slingshot! All kids play with those! Besides I've got my gun with me, remember?" Jervis said as he drew out a revolver. "One look at this and she'll turn tail in a flash." But all of a sudden he heard what sounded like panting. He looked down to see Kumi sitting at his feet, wagging her tail. A short silence passed before Jervis began to open his mouth to speak, but not before the puppy jumped up between his legs. **Chomp!**

XXX

In the middle of a forest on the island, a large wooden cabin was hidden behind a mirage, and in this cabin, the Straw Hats were sitting quietly. So far, their plan was working, since the marine's hadn't found their hiding place. And according to Robin, they were starting to grow tired of searching for them. But at that moment the crew raised their heads when a strange noise in the distance reached their ears.

"**RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIICOLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!**" it echoed. For some reason all the men shuddered. Even Chopper and especially Franky.

"What the flying feather was that?!" Nami asked.

"That, my dear, was the sound of a man at the peak of agony." Brook said. "Though I have not experienced this pain in over fifty years, I shall never forget it until the end of time itself."

"My guess is it involved the fruit of his loins." Robin assumed.

"Trust me, Robin; this is far worse than what you did to me." Franky insisted.

"Well whatever it was, thankfully it's not happening to us." Sanji said.

"I just hope Aika and Kumi are alright." Luffy said.

"Don't worry. They have Blizzard with them. And if things keep up, we should be able to get back to the ship before the night's out." Robin reassured.

"Right you are, Robin." Nami smiled. "And besides, those two know how to take care of themselves."

XXX

Back on the ship, Kumi had let go of her 'chew toy' and he in turn let go of his gun which she caught in her mouth and bounded back towards the kitchen.

"No! You dirty little mutt! Gimme that back!" Jervis yelled on his knees as he pathetically reached out for the pup only to collapse on the deck, groaning in agony as she hopped back through the doggy door. After panting, cursing and whining a touch, Jervis scrambled to his feet and hobbled over to the door.

"Now hear this, you brats! You two are very big trouble!"

"Go sit on a pin, you big dummy!" Aika said back.

"YOU OPEN UP OR…I'LL BREAK DOWN THE DOOR!" Jervis thundered.

"What with your size? Think it through, big dummy. Or should I say little dummy?"

"That's it Harley! Break it down!"

"I can't. My eyes are still on fire~." Harley whimpered.

"Dammit all, fine! I'll break it down myself!" Jervis said before he took the paces away and scraped the deck with the sole of his shoe like an angry bull before charging towards the door. On the other side, Aika was propped up against the wall casually eating a banana, revealing the floor to be covered in peels. In that moment she tossed the latest rind to the bunch on the floor and opened the door, just before Jervis was about to slam into it. The result, is what you'd expect.

"WHOOOOOAAAAAAH!" Jervis wailed as he slid through the dining room and towards the medical bay, which Kumi proceeded to open the door to, and as he hit the doorframe he tripped out the back door and slammed front first onto the back deck which, unfortunately for him, was now a spiky caltrop hell.

"YEEEOOOOOOOOOWWWW!" he hollered as he rolled onto his back, his front now looking like a trimmed porcupine. "I'M GONNA KILL THAT KID!"

"Na-nana-nana~!" Aika jeered at him from the open door before shutting it. Jervis snarled as he yanked the caltrops out of himself and stomped over to the back door.

"You are so dead, brat." He threatened as he opened the door. But as soon as it touched the wall, a jet of fire burst from it and engulfed his head. **FWOOOOOOOSH!** Screaming he turned around and ran right back out and dived off the ship. It turned out, that Aika had attached a flame dial to the door which activated when its apex was pressed to the wall. The little girl giggled, before she shut the door and locked it again. When Jervis eventually got out of the water and back onto the ship, half of his tall hat had been burned away, along with the top of his hair, and a plume of smoke was still rising from his roasted scalp.

"My eyes feel better now, Boss." Harley said before he noticed Jervis. "What happened to your hat?"

"Never mind that! I've had it up to here with that little snot nose!"

"Hey! Now that's not very nice." The pair looked up to see Aika standing just above them on the upper deck of the ship. She smiled at them before holding up Jervis' pistol. "You know I've always hated these things. Everyone prefers to use them to scare people, even little kids like me. Well I know the perfect place for this nasty thing to go." She said before reeling her arm back and hurling the firearm as far as she could before it landed in the sea with a plop.

"Why you little! Give it back!" Jervis shouted.

"But she threw it in the sea, Boss." Harley explained, but got no reply.

"How about I give you this instead!" Aika answered before pulling a rope. And as the Jervis and Harley looked up, they saw what looked like two masses of coloured liquid raining down from the mast toward them. **Ker-splash!** In a second they were both drenched in paint. Jervis was now painted purple while Harley was now orange.

"Now that you're all messy, how about you go take a bath?!" Aika asked.

"I'm…gonna…kill you." Jervis snarled.

"The door's open! Come and get me! PBBBBBBBT!" Aika blew a raspberry at them before scampering off towards the figurehead. Growling, Jervis ran towards the kitchen door, but stopped himself before he opened it.

"Oh no. Not again. Harley? You open it."

"Uh ok, Boss." Harley replied before he opened the door and peered into the kitchen to find it empty, save for the floor of banana peels. "All clear."

"What the?! Lemme through! It can't be!" Jervis barked as he pushed Harley aside and stepped through the doorway, but as he did, his foot pulled a string that was tied to the frame. Jervis nervously looked up to see Usopp's hammer swinging down towards. "I thought so." **KABONK!** The heavy tool made contact with his mug and sent him flying back across the deck and hit the mast. Dazed, he slowly sat up, not noticing the large red circle the hammer had left on his face, before he walked passed a surprised Harley and through the kitchen and casually climbed up the ladder. Upon reaching the top, with Harley close behind him, he spotted Aika standing just in front of the figurehead.

"What's the matter, boys? Can't even handle little ol' me?" she asked innocently, twisting her hips with one hand behind her back while gently poking her cheek with the other.

"Well go get her, Harley!" Jervis ordered. The man nodded before he began to advance towards Aika who smiled at him. But when he was about a foot away from her she looked up curiously.

"Heads up!" Jervis spoke up. Bu as his partner turned around, the last thing he saw was paint bucket swinging down towards him from the mast. **BONK!** It smacked him right in the face and set him shooting passed Aika and landing on the figurehead.

"Now I've got ya! You set off your trap!" Jervis said as he ran at her, when suddenly Aika pointed behind him. He turned around and **BONK!** A second paint bucket swung down and conked him, sending him landing neatly beside Harley on the figurehead.

"Nice job, Kumi!" Aika called, revealing the puppy was perched up on the mast. She was the one who pushed the buckets. She yipped in reply before sliding down one of the ropes using her teeth. Aika petted her before turning back to the criminals who were slowly getting up yet again. She snickered, before skipping over to the helm and grabbing a lever.

"Let's wash that paint off, shall we?" she grinned before pulling it. At first nothing happened, but then the mane of Sunny's head began to spin, catching Jervis and Harley in the process, sending them around and around in circles. The girls left them with their heads spinning for about a minute, before Aika pushed the lever back, causing the mane to stop spinning and not long after, both Jervis and Harley tumbled off the mane and into the sea, both their heads and stomachs spinning.

"Yes! Yes-yes-yes!" Aika cheered in success before she and Kumi ran down to the deck. Upon arriving they saw the crooks stumbling back up the gangplank, trying their best not to bump into each other or fall back in the sea, occasionally buckling their knees from the dizziness. Aika grinned.

"NOW, KUMI!" she said, before her canine companion ran over to the aquarium bar and opened the door, before a flood of soapy water came pouring out and onto the deck. (A.N- please don't ask how. No one quite knows the reason.) She skidded across the deck to Aika who was standing by the ladder to the crow's nest, as she turned back to face Jervis and Harley who had almost regained their sense of balance.

"Try and catch us now!" she laughed before, holding Kumi under her arm, she climbed the ladder up and into the nest.

"We've got her cornered!" Jervis said, but when they set foot on the deck, they slipped almost instantly. Due to the soapy water, grass and their remaining dizziness, it was near impossible for either of them to remain on their feet for more than three seconds; those seconds of which would be spent skidding on the spot like cartoons on oil slick. After about fifteen minutes of slipping, sliding and falling, the pair managed to reach the ladder, but just when they were about to climb it, Harley stopped.

"Wait a minute, Boss. It must be another trap."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I'm going up!" Harley said loudly before taping his foot against the steps of the ladder a few times, when he suddenly backed off, to see a paint bucket fall down through the trap door and land on the deck "OW! SHE GOT ME!" he improvised. Jervis looked at him, confused at first, before he smiled in realisation.

"Don't worry, Harley! I'll get her!" he called before repeating the motion of tapping his foot on the ladder and dodging the bucket. "GAH! MY HEAD!" he shouted before they grinned at each other. "Now we've got her." He said before they began to climb the ladder. Btu when they were about halfway up, something else began to fall towards them. But it wasn't a paint bucket. It was much bigger, wider and certainly heavier due to the speed it was falling. It was none other than one of Zoro's barbells.

"Oops." **CLANG! CRASH!** The pair found themselves squashed under the heavy piece of training equipment. Thankfully for Aika, their bodies took the impact so the deck remained undamaged. That way she wouldn't be scolded by Franky for making a hole in the deck.

"All right! Enough is enough! This is the final! This is the very, very last straw!" Jervis thundered as he and Harley pushed the very heavy weight off themselves and climbed up the ladder into the crow's nest, where they found Aika and Kumi. When suddenly, the girls hopped up onto the couch and opened the window.

"Stop! One more step, and I'll jump." Aika warned.

"You're bluffing!" Jervis snapped.

"Am I? Why don't you find out? Take a step, I dare you!"

"I'm a steppin'!" Jervis shouted taking a step forward. Aika then turned away…and jumped out the window with Kumi close behind her. Both of the thieves' jaws dropped before they hurried over to the window and looked down to see the girls sitting in a net of seaweed from one of Usopp's Sargasso pop greens.

"Fooled you~!" Aika laughed.

"Quick! Back down the ladder before she gets away!" Jervis shouted as he and Harley rushed back to the trapdoor.

"And now for the climax." Aika smiled as she began to get down form her makeshift safety net, when all of a sudden, her foot snagged on the plant, stopping her in her tracks. "Oh no! I'm stuck!" she cried.

"_Hold on Aika!_" Kumi barked as she tried to bite through the Sargasso, but struggled due to the toughness of the weed.

"Hurry, Kumi!" Aika shouted but then gasped in fright as she looked up to see Jervis and Harley had finally caught up to her.

"Oh dear. Will you look at that? How ironic that the net that saved her from that fall has led to her being caught by us." Kumi snarled at them threateningly and pounced at them, only for Jervis to kick the puppy away with little effort.

"Kumi!"

"Now then. I think it's fair to say your punishment is well overdue." Jervis said before pulling her out of the net by the front of her shirt.

"What are we gonna do to her, Boss?" Harley asked.

"Oh we won't kill her. I'm not that low. I think we'll just get even with her. And by that, I mean doing everything she did to us. Like burn off all that pretty hair of hers with that flaming shell."

"Or spray her face with tabasco." Harley suggested.

"Maybe bonk her on the head with a few paint cans for good measure." Jervis added. "Or throw her on a bed of caltrops even. But before we do all that, and raid this hunk of driftwood, I'm gonna tie her up with that seaweed and use her as shark bait!" he hissed evilly, but at that moment he felt his shoulder being tapped. "Not now, Harley. I'm busy." He said, before he was tapped again. "Seriously, Harley. This brat has it coming now quit pestering me!" Aika, who happened to have her eyes closed in fear of the moment, opened them before a big smile appeared on her face, which soon became a smirk as she looked at Jervis and pointed.

"Look behind you, bub." She said. Jervis did just that, and soon afterward, his blood ran cold. There, standing before him, was Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats. Zoro, had Harley at sword point, and the man had his hands straight up in surrender. Luffy looked at Jervis with a surprisingly straight face, but as soon as he spoke, his words hit the crook harder than black blood.

"What…are you doing…to my sister?" he asked sinisterly.

"Your…your sister?" Jervis repeated in shock.

"Yeah long story. But you haven't answered my question. What are you doing to her?"

"Uh…"

"Cat got your tongue, asshole?" Nami asked, batting her shoulder with her Clima Tact. "Not that you need to use it. You're just as dead either way." Jervis swallowed hard. "Put, her, down." The navigator ordered. Jervis obeyed, as Aika ran over to Luffy and hugged his legs. Luffy pet her comfortingly, before picking her up and handing her to Nami who hugged her, before he firmly grabbed Jervis by the shoulder and led him to the rail of the ship.

"Buddy…I'm not angry. No that's a lie; I'm beyond furious. More furious then I've ever been in a long time. And trust me when I say, nobody likes me when I'm angry. Nobody." Jervis was trembling by this point, as Luffy's fist turned black and shiny. "Don't worry. I'll make it quick. Quick…but very, very painful." He then stretched his fist back about a yard, before his calm face burst into an expression of uncontrolled rage, and in that split second, as his fist zoomed back towards his target, Jervis could've sworn he saw the face of the Devil himself, before **KAPOW!** With a single punch Luffy sent the goon flying away from the ship, further and further and further until…**Ding~!** He disappeared into the sky, Team Rocket style. The group watched in awe of Luffy's attack before Zoro turned to Harley.

"Can you swim?" he asked.

"Um…yes?"

"Then go get him." Zoro commanded, with a glare, before Harley squeaked and jumped into the sea before beginning to doggy paddle to who-knows-where. Satisfied, Luffy sighed before he grabbed Aika out of Nami's arms and hugged her tightly, his little sister returning the motion.

"BIG BROTHER!" Aika cried.

"I'm so glad you're safe!" Luffy sniffed, as he kissed her cheek while stroking her hair, grateful she was safe and sound. The crew went about repeating the actions with her before they were sure she'd got enough relieved love from them.

"What in the world happened here, Aika?!" Nami asked.

"Yeah and where's Blizzard?!" Chopper asked. Aika looked at her family before taking a deep breath.

XXX

After telling the story and letting poor Blizzard out of Luffy and Nami's room, before the Captain pulled the jar of peanut butter off his head and the navigator scolded him for letting his urges get the better of him, followed by a two week ban of the spread, which Blizzard accepted, the wolf dog soon found himself tackling Aika and Kumi and practically drowning them in kisses.

"You mean you really set up all these crazy traps to protect the ship form those thugs?!" Luffy asked in amazement.

"Yeah." Aika replied proudly, receiving another lick on her cheek from Blizzard, who didn't show any sign of stopping as she hugged his neck. "This is my home after all. I'm a pirate, and a Straw Hat at that, so I had to protect Sunny."

"And I'm sure she's more thankful then any of us." Franky grinned.

"And I'm sorry I made a mess in the kitchen, Sanji." Aika apologised. "And I wasted some of your paint, Usopp and got the deck all messy and soapy."

"Don't apologise, sweetheart. Knowing those bastards didn't harm that pretty little head of yours matters more to me than my kitchen floor being carpeted with banana peels." Sanji said.

"Here, here." Usopp agreed. "I'm still impressed by how well you used my old slingshot. I think I'll start giving you sniping lessons if you're up for it." He grinned.

"That'd be great, Usopp!" Aika grinned.

"Blizzard are you gonna stop kissing her and Kumi already? At this rate they'll drown in your slobber." Chopper commented.

"_Gimme a break. You have no idea how scary it is being locked in a room and knowing your little sisters are in trouble._" Blizzard replied.

"Well I couldn't be prouder of you, Aika." Nami said. "You used your brain and outsmarted those brutes, and kept the ship, yourself and Kumi safe. You're a true pirate, and a genius." Aika blushed bright pink before she leapt to her feet and began shuffling and wiggling on the spot, with her hands on her cheeks.

"You meanie~! That doesn't make me happy~! Not one bit~! Not even a teensy weensy bit~!" she laughed. The crew actually clutched their chests upon seeing her adorable display, and Franky even fell of his chair.

"Holy crap, he's out cold!" Zoro gaped.

"If I had a heart I'd be dead right now! Oh, I am! YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook laughed.

"I think you have competition in cuteness, Chopper." Robin chuckled.

"I guess I rubbed off on her." Chopper said bashfully, as Aika hugged him like a teddy bear before she let out a yawn, earning a laugh from the crew.

"Well I think it's fair to say that you and Kumi have had quite a night" Nami said. "Bedtime." Aika nodded with sleepy eyes.

"Come on, Aika. I'll tell you and Kumi a great story. You've earned it." Usopp grinned as Aika followed after him, still holding Chopper in her arms, the rest of the crew following behind them. But as they arrived at her room, Aika gasped in shock, as Usopp reached out for the doorknob.

"NO USOPP! DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!" she shouted with her hand out as Usopp turned the knob.

"Huh?" Usopp asked as he opened the door. **CRASH!** Aika cringed, and not long after, so did the rest of the crew, when they saw that a tonne of bricks was now where Usopp used to be.

"I forgot about that one." Aika said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head earning awkward but understanding grins from the crew, before Usopp's head broke through the top of the pile, birds, stars and planets floating around him.

"Simce whem has a boat had bwicks~?" he slurred.

The End


	22. Lady of the Coloured wind

The Straw Hats have come across a town suffering from great harm at the hands of corrupt marines. Some think it's best to stay out of their business, but Nami has over ideas. ones that might require a paranormal touch.

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard, Aika and Kumi belong to XfangheartX**

**This story was inspired by the Avatar episode 'The Painted Lady' which belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko**

* * *

Opal Island: an island consisting of a small village that seems simply, sublime at first glance, but beneath it is something far richer. As the name suggests, the earth beneath the village grows an endless supply of sparkling opals. So much so, the island's people merged the precious stone into their livelihood forming tools, pottery and of course jewellery, making them a small but wealthy village as their produce sold quite well to tourists and traders. But, it was not to last. To tell you why, we shall begin our story.

A young boy is seen quietly hurrying through the streets of his village. He wasn't exactly in the best shape; rather scruffy, in old clothing with a thin frame to match his hungry complexion. He looked this way and that as he ran, as though to check if he was being followed, before he rounded a corner and pressed his back to the wall as he panted. After a few seconds of breathing, he opened his enclosed hands to reveal an opal crystal nestling in his palms, the sun allowing it to cast rainbows against his skin. He beamed joyfully at the gem before the cocking of several rifles sounded beside him, stiffening him to the point where you'd mistake him for a wax sculpture. He tentatively turned his head to see three marine soldiers of all people aiming their weapons at him, and soon, a fourth figure pushed his way through them to reach the boy and stood before him, arms folded. The child shivered in terror as the man looked down on him but he didn't have time to scream as he was struck by the brute and fell to the ground, dropping his treasure in the process. The man scoffed at the snivelling boy before he plucked the opal from the ground and turned his back as he walked away, the marines following him as the boy sniffled as he watched them go trying but failing to reach out for his stolen treasure, only to give up and punch the dirt ground in both sadness and frustration.

XXX

Meanwhile on the Thou-oh why do I bother? You all know where we're going. The Straw Hats were currently seated in the aquarium bar, sharing conversations, when the only absent member of the crew entered the room, which happened to be Nami.

"Good news, everyone."

"Good for you I bet." Zoro muttered.

"We're about to hit the motherlode of treasure smorgasbords at the next island." Nami giggled excitedly.

"WE FOUND RAFTEL?!" Luffy squawked hopefully.

"Raftel? OH! No sorry, Luffy, I wasn't talking about the One Piece." Nami said.

"Aww." Luffy huffed disappointed. "But you said it was the motherlode."

"Well yeah. Because the One Piece is obviously the fatherlode." Nami explained.

"That's not even a word."

"Shut up, Zoro. Anyway, the next island we're gonna be at is called Opal Island. It's underground caverns are flowing with gemstones!"

"And you plan to make off with a few bags of them, don't you." Usopp said.

"Got it in one, Usopp. All we have to do is sneak underground and mine as many opals as we can. There'll be plenty so the residents wont' even notice they're gone."

"Hey!" the crew turned upon hearing Sanji from the intercom, who was taking watch. "I think we have trouble, guys!" the crew rushed outside to find the island was only a few yards away, but as they looked closer they could see a large marine base planted firmly on the top of the island.

"Well of course they had to be there." Franky said unsurprised.

"And I'll bet they're manning the opal mines as well." Zoro said.

"Who care?" Luffy scoffed. "We're not gonna be pushed around by those losers. Right, Aika?" he grinned at his little half-sister, who looked frightened at first, but seeing her brother's smiling face gave her strength, for she returned the grin.

"Yeah!"

"Well you heard her, guys! If she's not afraid then neither are we! Let's go get us some treasure!" Luffy cheered.

"**AYE-AYE, CAPTAIN!**"

XXX

After hiding the Sunny away from the marine base, and shrouding it with one of Nami's mirages for good measure, the crew gathered a few supplies before embarking. They decided it would be nice to set up camp in the forest just so they had a safe spot to hide in case the ship was discovered. And so, after setting up the tent and fire, the crew headed towards the village to gather supplies while Blizzard and Sanji remained behind at camp to guard/prepare lunch. Robin had also volunteered to investigate the island to find any leads on where they could find the opals, which Nami granted without any doubt in the archaeologist. But upon arriving in the village, the crew found something they weren't expecting.

"Are you sure this is the same island you told us about, Nami?" Zoro asked.

"There's no doubt. This is definitely Opal Island." Nami confirmed, though her voice sounded anything but.

"But then…why does it look like this?" Franky asked, shocked. For you see, the village the crew had found themselves in…was completely run down. The houses were all very old and patchy. Some had even been reduced to rubble while some had been haphazardly rebuilt with nothing but sheets of scrap metal and wood. The place was a shanty. And the same could be said for the inhabitants. Those who weren't sitting on their porches or slumped against the walls devoid of happiness were lying in beds with sickly expressions, their loved ones trying to tend to them as best they could. Everyone else was lifelessly walking about the town, completely unaware of the crew's presence. Or they just couldn't care less.

"It's…it's horrible." Brook whispered. "What the dickens happened here? This town is in worse shape than my old ship."

"I thought they were supposed to be wealthy and full of life from all the gem stones they gathered." Aika said. "But everyone's so miserable."

"And so many of them are sick." Chopper said with great despair at the sight of the poorly villagers. The crew quietly made their way through the village until they came by a store which they entered. As they did the store's owner looked up from his counter and gasped, before smiling after dusting himself off.

(A.N- Sorry guys, but I'm not doing a complete copy and paste of the Avatar episode. So no Doc/Shu/Bushi character)

"Customers! Welcome, welcome! Pardon my grubbiness. It's just been quite a while since I've had business." He said. "Hanzo, at your service ladies and gentlemen."

"N-Nice to meet you." Nami greeted awkwardly looking around the shop to find it very bare. "Do you have any food we can buy to stock our ship?"

"Of course Ma'am. Though I must confess I am running low on supplies." Hanzo said before going into the back of his store and quickly returning with a crate. "It's your lucky day, folks. I have a few vegetable left over from the harvest." After setting the crate down the crew looked into find a few rather old vegetables in it which consisted of a skinny carrot, a dusty lettuce and a few potatoes which were practically dressed in their own sprouts. They grimaced, but took it in their stride.

"We'll take the lot, please. Our cook will make great use of them." Nami said before paying up.

"Thank you for your business, Miss…"

"Na…Nojiko. My name's Nojiko, Mr Hanzo, Sir." Nami introduced herself. "And these are my friends." She added before turning to them. "We can't blow our cover so just play along." She whispered to them.

"Mr Hanzo?" the man looked down to see Aika raising her hand.

"What is it, dear?"

"Um…if you don't mind me asking…what happened here? I heard this island was full of beautiful opals and you all lived happy lives." Hanzo sighed, but somehow kept his smile.

"We used to be…a long time ago. You're not wrong, child. This island was named for its vast endless supply of opals that run deep underground. Flowing like rivers of rainbows. We built our lives and village around those gems. We became known as one of the great trading villages in the New World. Tourists and clients would come all over to purchase our goods. Until…they arrived."

"Who? Were you raided by pirates?" Usopp asked.

"Pirates? Heh, I wish. At least a pirate crew will only strike once for the most part. No. It was the marines."

"The marines?" Brook asked in surprise.

"That's right. They came here two years ago. They drove us out of the mines and took them for themselves. Then they built their base here and took all our money and food. As you can see we've been struggling to survive. Without our opals we can't make any money to make food or medicine or even repair our homes properly. All because those damned government dogs are using their so called symbol of justice to live off our own lifeblood. What's worse, anyone who gets in their way is locked up in their headquarters. They never come out again." The crew felt absolutely disgusted to say the very least by this revelation.

"Che. Remind you of anyone?" Zoro asked Luffy.

"Damn right. Arlong." Luffy snarled.

"Actually I was thinking of Helmeppo's axe hand Father, but yeah that works too." Zoro said.

"But how can the marines allow this?!" Nami shouted. "I know there are corrupt marines, but there are good ones too! Can't you report what they're doing to you?!"

"I'm afraid not. All of our transponder snails were confiscated. We're all prisoners to them now." Hanzo said. "But, some of us haven't lost hope yet. Have a good day, strangers. And come again." the crew nodded before leaving the shop and the village with it, but just before they did, Nami felt a small hand gently tug her pants leg. She looked down to see a young boy with a thin frame looking up at her.

"Can you spare some food please?" he asked. Due to her love of children, Nami would sooner throw her money away than turn her back on a helpless child. She took one of the potatoes and handed it to the boy.

"I'm sorry I couldn't offer more." She apologised, but the child smiled at her thankfully.

"You've offered more than I could ask for. Thank you." He beamed, before pecking her on the cheek in gratitude before he hurried away to, as Nami looked on, his Mother who was lying under a blanket with a flannel on her forehead implying she was ill. She half opened her eyes to see what her son had brought her before she petted him gratefully. Nami looked on at the small family with great sadness. Compared to this, her childhood with Bellemere and Nojiko looked like the rich life.

"Hey, Nami come on!" the navigator hurried after her crew who were waving to her.

"This place is horrible." She said.

"Damn tootin' it's horrible. This has gotta be the most miserable run down village I've ever seen." Franky said. "Scrap Island has more life in it than this place."

"We have to help them." Nami said.

"Not gonna happen." Usopp spoke up. "We can't help every rinky-dink problem we come across. These folks are on their own."

"Theses 'folks' are sick and starving and you'd turn your back on them, Usopp?! Have you forgotten when me, Luffy and Zoro saved your village?! How can you be so heartless?!"

"I'm not being heartless! I'm being realistic! You guys saving my island was entirely different. My village was doing just fine. They didn't' even know what happened that morning! Besides you heard what that Hanzo guy said. The marines have this place under lock and key! And even if we defeated them they'll just send more. It's just like what happened in Alabasta. Stopping the little problem won't stop the big one. Think about it this way. Once we've achieved our goal we'll be able to help and protect hundreds of islands like this once Luffy's become pirate ki-" his sentence was cut off by Luffy's hand.

"We're supposed to be undercover, remember?" he reminded.

"My point is, Nami, this is out of our hands this time. On top of everything else, the log sets the day after tomorrow. We can't restore a whole island in that amount of time. Maybe we can get in contact with Sabo. He works for Luffy's Dad and they've got entire army dedicated to stopping the marines and the government. They could save this island in a flash."

"Robin did say the Revolutionaries can always be relied upon. We'll have her contact them after we leave." Luffy said, before they carried on back to camp.

XXX

"How awful. To think marines would leech an entire village just to fill their own wallets. Slimy bastards." Sanji spat, who was currently making soup from the old vegetables.

"And this is one of the reasons why I hate them!" Aika shouted. "I can't believe Koby wants to work for these people!"

"Now Aika, you know not all marines are evil. Just like pirates. I mean you've seen Smokey and Tashigi." Luffy said.

"Well Smokey's scary, but Tashigi was nice. Especially if big sis trusted her." Aika said.

"Well I know they certainly wouldn't approve of this if they found out." Robin said. "And I must say, I do agree with Usopp's idea of contacting Dragon, Sabo and Koala."

"But what if they can't make it?! They're all fighting a huge war right now! How can you be sure they'd have time for this one village?" Nami questioned.

"You'd be surprised, Nami." Robin replied. "But I understand where you're coming from. But as much as we'd love to help, this is still the navy. They have an endless supply of forces. A simple crew of pirates wouldn't be enough to keep them away. Only the four Emperors could do that."

"Let's just eat before we get some rest. Besides, even if we could help them, you think they're gonna listen to a bunch of pirates? They have enough problems already and they don't need paranoid fear on top of it." Usopp said.

"I have to agree there. We've been misjudged by towns more times than we've been befriended by them when they found out what we are." Luffy said. But it was after hearing what her boyfriend and Usopp said that got Nami thinking, as the image of the suffering village refused to leave her mind as she assisted Sanji in serving dinner.

XXX

"Oh the wind carries my name…lu, lu, la, la…" Usopp warbled in his sleep as the sun rose. But then all of a sudden a weight on his chest blasted him awake as well as the wind form his body.

"Usopp! Usopp wake up!" the sniper found the source of his uncomfortable awakening to be Aika sitting on his chest.

"Aika?! What's the matter with you jumping on me like that?!" he barked.

"Big brother's sick!" Aika sniffed, her eyes watering.

"Luffy's sick?!" Usopp squawked as he sat up, causing Aika to roll off his chest. And sure enough, there was Luffy, his crew gathered around him with Chopper holding a stethoscope to his chest. Upon closer inspection the Captain's face was covered in green spots and he was groaning profoundly.

"Ohhh my stomach~!" he moaned.

"What's wrong with Luffy?!" Usopp asked.

"I don't know! Nami just woke me up and said she found him like this!" Chopper said before opening Luffy's mouth and pulling out his tongue with a depressor before he gasped. "IT'S PURPLE!"

"**PURPLE?!**" the crew questioned.

"I-I've never seen anything like this! I have no idea what green spots and purple tongue mean!" Chopper panicked.

"Maybe he picked up something while in the village yesterday." Robin speculated.

"Then maybe they have the cure in town. It must be a native illness to this island." Nami said.

"That must be it! I've checked all of his body and the only discomfort he has is a sore stomach. But I can't risk his health! We're going straight into town to find him some medicine!" Chopper said. "Anyone who stays put on medical masks. I don't want anyone else getting sick!"

"Well I'm not risking my health so I'm coming with you, Chopper!" Usopp said.

"Me too! I wanna help Big Brother get better!" Aika said.

"You don't even need to ask me." Nami added before the four of them headed back to the village, but when they arrived they were in for a bit of a surprise. The town seemed a lot chipper than it was yesterday. People were going about talking to one another, helping each other with odd jobs and the children were running around and playing with each other.

"Does this place seem unusual all of a sudden?" Usopp asked.

"Yeah. Everyone's happier." Chopper said as Nami smiled watching the villagers in higher spirits. Upon reaching the shop they found Hanzo was looking happier as well.

"Ah it's you lot again! Good morning!"

"Hey, Hanzo. Do you know why everyone seems happier all of a sudden?" Nami asked.

"Oh yes! It was amazing! Food was delivered to us last night by a mysterious figure. The Lady of the Coloured Wind."

"Who?" Usopp asked.

"She's our guardian deity. A forest spirit." Hanzo said as he presented a carving of a woman. She was dressed in a flowing kimono around her waist with leafy patterns along with a belly shirt with strange symbols on the front and wore a jewelled necklace around her neck, while her mouth was concealed by one of those cloths dancer girls wear. Her hair was covered by a hood and she held a long staff in her hand and was standing atop a small cloud.

"The story goes that when the village was founded, our first leader was digging trenches along with his people for irrigation. But while digging he found a very large boulder in the earth preventing them from digging any further. But after breaking the rock open, he freed the lady who had been trapped inside it when the island was formed by volcanic eruptions. To thank the villagers she transformed all the rocks beneath the earth into opals which is how we gained our way of living. Ever since the marines stole our fortune, the people lost faith in her, but now they just might regain it after last night. Even I used to think she was only a legend until now."

"There. You see?" Usopp said to Nami. "They have their own guardian angel to help them. But anyway, our friend is sick and we need herbs for his medicine before we can leave."

"I'm sorry, but there's no herbs or medicine in the village. It all goes to the marine base. That's why so many of us are sick. I hope what your friend has isn't serious, though. But, if it's any consolation, I have better stock this time. Do you need any more food?"

"We'll take some meat thanks. That should cheer our friend up." Nami said as she paid for the food and the crew left the shop.

"What do we do? The log sets tomorrow and we don't know how to cure Luffy." Aika said, worriedly.

"You guys go on ahead." Nami said handing the shopping to Usopp. "I'm gonna see if I can find any information about Luffy's sickness. I'll catch up with you later." The others nodded before they carried on without the navigator.

XXX

The rest of the crew patiently waited at camp for Nami to return when they spotted the navigator hurrying towards them.

"Guys I know how to cure Luffy!"

"YOU DO?! TELL ME!" Chopper barked.

"The only cure for the disease is a plant that only grows on this island. It's a pink flower with blue spots and orange thorns."

"Then that settles it!" Chopper piped up as he slung on his backpack. "I'm gonna find that plant and we're not leaving until I do! Nor will I return to camp until I find it!"

"Chopper!" Blizzard barked.

"I have to save Luffy! If I can't seek out a plant to cure him then I can't call myself his Doctor! I'll keep a transponder snail with me to call you guys if anything goes wrong. And don't worry. There's plenty of grass for me to eat so I won't go hungry. Wish me luck! Don't die Luffy! And if you see a long tunnel DONT GO INTO THE LIGHT!"

"Don't jinx it, Chopper!" Nami said.

"OH! Forget what I said! Pink flower! Blue spots! Orange thorns!" Chopper chanted the three features as he galloped off and out of sight.

"Man talk about determined." Zoro said.

"You got that right. Looks like we're gonna miss the log tomorrow."

"Hey guys, when's dinner?" the crew whirled around to see Luffy sitting up in bed.

"Luffy you look better." Usopp said, surprised.

"Yeah my stomach doesn't feel that sore anymore."

"You're not better, Luffy." Nami said. "I asked around the village about the sickness. The pains come every morning and evening but subsides during the day. And you're still covered in spots."

"Aw man~!" Luffy whined.

"Huh. Talk about convenient!" Usopp muttered. "We leave you in town and you come back discovering the cure for Luffy's illness and its symptoms, before Chopper could, and just before the log sets, and yet you don't' seem all that worried." Nami flinched a little before she looked this way and that for moment.

"_Damn. What do I do? The others are gonna get suspicious. What can I do to completely zone them out?_" she thought before she smiled suddenly. "Hey you wanna know what else I did in town? Well see, I went shoe shopping…"

"_Shoe shopping~._" Usopp thought rolling his eyes.

"_Shoe shopping~._" Zoro groaned in thought as well.

"**_Shoe shopping~._**" The rest of the men surprisingly though in the same exasperated tone. Nami grinned in victory though Robin and Aika looked at her inquisitively.

"Hey it's not my fault they have no interest in fashion." She shrugged.

XXX

As the night reached its peak, the villagers were all asleep with not a sound to disturb them. But the, at the edge of the forest a lone figure emerged from the trees. A woman in an unusual outfit holding a staff and riding what appeared to be a cloud with many marbled colours. She glided towards the village as silent as a breeze before she reached what seemed to be the village's hospital which was really just a large shack full of sickly people in beds. As the figure entered the building she noticed the boy form before sleeping beside his ill Mother. She looked at them along with the other patients before raising her staff and releasing a stream of bubbles before she turned around and left the building but at that moment the boy stirred awake form the cooling breeze and looked to see a bottle of medicine beside his Mother as well as other medicines surrounding the other patients. A smile broke across his face before he hurried outside to see the figure drifting away.

"Thank you, Lady of the Coloured Wind." He bowed. The figure stopped when she heard him and as she raised her head, we see that even though her mouth was covered and her head was hooded, a pair of brown eyes and a few strands of orange hair revealed that this kind spirit was none other…than Nami. She didn't turn around to face the child, but instead nodded to show that she'd heard his thanks before she glided off into the forest and out of sight.

XXX

The next morning the crew returned to the village once again to find it had improved even further. The people were cheering and to the crew's surprise they seemed to be preparing for a celebration as they were setting up a large statue of the Spirit in the town square.

"Ah back again I see?" Hanzo greeted the crew as he was polishing his miniature statue of the Lady. "Is your friend any better?"

"Sadly, no. And our doctor's went gallivanting off to find medicine for him so we can't leave until he finds it." Sanji said as he set down some money for more food.

"Oh that's too bad. Maybe if you're lucky the Lady of the Coloured Wind will come and heal your friend."

"Yeah and maybe she'll cook us a midnight snack and we'll all have a sing-along." Usopp joked.

"Yeah, maybe. She came last night and brought us lots of medicine in these strange bubbles she conjured from her staff. So many of our sick folk are healed now that our doctors have the medicine they need."

"I take it that's why everyone's so festive?" Aika asked.

"That's right. It's all thanks to our loving spirit." Hanzo smiled proudly at the statue.

"Amazing. Can you believe how much an entire village can be changed by one lady? Or spirit?" Nami corrected herself.

"Well I sure hope she keeps coming back every night otherwise the village would just go back to the way it was." Usopp said earning a frown from Nami.

"How does that make sense? Look how well they all are."

"Yeah, now. But without her help they wouldn't be able to fend for themselves. If she really wanted to help them permanently, she'd use her spirit magic to blow up that marine base." Usopp said before he began to wave his arms like a ghost. "Woo-oo-oo-oo-oo~! KABOOOM!"

"Actually, Usopp." Brook spoke up. "Having been to spirit world several times, spirit magic is more like this." Brook then began to do a dance that seemed to be mixture of the hula and the robot before thrusting his palms forward like he was hooting a beam. Usopp and Aika laughed at the skeletons antics before the three of them began waving and wooing much to Nami's annoyance as she faced the marine base in the distance with a glare. Her final objective was in motion.

XXX

As night came once again, Nami carefully left her sleeping bag before she filled it with her pillow to fake her presence and went to change into her outfit. After pulling her hood over her head and covering her mouth with the mask, she picked up her clima tact and hurried off, but not before she stepped on a twig which woke up Kumi. The puppy looked around and spotted Nami leaving before she licked Aika's face to wake her up.

"What is it, Kumi?" she asked before she spotted Nami as well.

"It's her." She whispered loudly before she chased after Nami with Kumi close behind. "Hello Coloured wind lady!" she called. Nami gasped when she spotted Aika and began to move faster with Aika and Kumi pursuing her.

"Excuse me! I know you must be busy helping that village but my big brother's very sick and could sue your help. Plus our doctor Chopper is off looking for the plant that can cure him. Can you please heal him so we can leave?!" but Nami took no notice as she tried to lose Aika by conjuring a few sky clouds, one of which she jumped on and used her gust sword to propel herself.

"I know we're pirates but we're not evil I promise!" Aika called as she kept chasing her, switching to her wolf form to manoeuvre quicker. "My brother's friends with the Grim Reaper and his son Death the Kid! They're like spirits!" but she got no reply again, but refused to give up. Nami continued to run before she hid behind a rock to catch her breath, but before she could take another step Aika and Kumi landed in front fo her.

"I'm Monkey D Aika. And this is my friend, Kumi."

Arf! Kumi barked.

"Well hello, Aika." Nami said in a different voice so she wouldn't be recognised. "I'd love to talk, but I'm very busy."

"Yeah, I know." Aika said before she looked at Nami. "You know, you're really pretty for a spirit. Whenever someone describes a spirit to me, they usually look like flying dead people or something scary like that. but you're beautiful."

"Well I'm flattered, darling, but I must be-"

"You seem familiar too." Aika said as she looked closer at Nami.

"People always say that about each other."

"No you really seem familiar. You even smell familiar."

"Look dear, I really need to hurry." Nami said as she began to walk away but Aika frowned before jumped at Nami and pulled her hood down.

"Nami?!"

"…Hi, Aika." Nami sighed in defeat.

"You're the Lady of the Coloured Wind?! But how?!" Aika asked shocked.

"Because that's who the village thought she was. Isn't that right, Nami?" the girls and pup looked around when they heard a third voice, but they got their answer when Robin appeared before them in a flurry of petals.

"Robin?!" Nami exclaimed.

"Oh, Nami are you really surprised?" Robin smiled.

"…No." Nami sighed. "And at first it was just me. I stole food form the marines and took it to the villagers to help them. But since they thought I was their spirit, I guess…I just became her."

"So you've been sneaking out at night to help the villagers? Wait…is Luffy even sick?!" Aika asked.

"He's just been getting stomach aches from the purple candies I've been slipping into his meals and I painted spots on his face but other than that he's fine." Nami explained.

"So there's no coloured flower?...Then that means Choppers been running all around the island for nothing!" Aika shouted. "I can't believe you lied to everyone."

"I'm sorry guys. I know I shouldn't have lied." Nami said shamefully.

"No I think it's really selfless of you to help the village this much." Robin smiled.

"Yeah, you're like a superhero, like Sniper King." Aika beamed.

"Well, I could actually use your help with the last thing I need to do." Nami said earning curious looks form the other girls.

XXX

The Navigator, Archaeologist and the two pups were now standing before the marine base.

"You wanna blow it up?" Aika asked.

"Yes. Usopp was just kidding, but he was right. Destroying this place is the only way to permanently save these people. Just like how he Luffy, Zoro and Sanji destroyed Arlong Park to save my village. Without this, the marines will have to leave forever. And I brought some of Usopp's explosives to do the trick." Nami said as she held up a jar of pellets.

"Aika? Next to Usopp, you're the only one who can handle a slingshot. Wanna make these stuff shirt sailors cry?" Aika laughed wickedly in response before taking the jar and drawing Usopp's old slingshot (which the man had given her after the time she defended the ship) before she and Nami headed into the building.

"Robin. There's an armoury just down that hallway full of more explosives. You're the only one who can lay them out around the building like when we blew up Shiki's palace. But before you do that, free any prisoners in the building but don't be seen."

"I'm on it." Robin smiled before the girls split up. They sped around the base spreading chaos with every step they took. Nami ran to the control room before she sent thunderbolts at the panels, causing them to malfunction and short-circuit, while she also used her sky clouds to clog up the doors so the marines wouldn't be able to get in knowing they'd soon be on their way. Aika was now riding Kumi down the hallways, shooting Usopp's exploding stars and skull bomb grasses into the air vents, blowing them up from the inside. And Robin was simply sitting back with her arms crossed as bundles of dynamite were spread around every area she could fit them into. Concurrently, the villagers who were being held prisoner soon found their cells magically opened allowing them to flee the building safely, which had just bee robin sneakily unlocking the cells with the stolen keys. Until, satisfied the girls met up back at the entrance.

"Get ready to run." Robin smiled before one of her hands through a lit match into the explosives and at that moment eh girls ran like the wind, covering their ears in the process. **KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!** The entire base went up in smoke and fire before crumbling to the ground leaving nothing but a pile of charred rubble.

XXX

The group of vigilantes returned to the camp by morning.

"Just keep quite. We don't wanna wake the boys." Nami whispered but as they rounded the corner they found the guys standing there, glaring at them, including Luffy who no longer looked sick, but had the same frown as before.

"Hey, guys. We were just taking a morning walk." Nami smiled sheepishly.

"Oh really? A _morning_ walk?" Usopp asked before emptying Nami's sleeping bag causing her to cringe in defeat. "I know you're the Coloured Wind Lady! We know you've been sneaking out! And we know you've been lying about Luffy and feeding him, my purpleising tongue candies!" he lisped the last part before pointing to Blizzard who stuck his tongue out revealing it to be purple while Zoro held up a bag of the sweet evidence.

"Do you realise what you've put us through?!" he asked. "We've been stuck here for days now cause we missed an entire log."

"And we've been spending our budget on food in order to live out here for the time which we could've sued on the ship." Sanji said.

"And worst of all! You've had poor Chopper get worried over nothing!" Franky scolded. "Poor furball's been wasting his time running higgledy piggledy all over this island looking for a flower that doesn't even exist!"

"Hey what about me?!" Luffy barked.

"Oh quit your bellyaching!" Usopp said. "Pun very much intended. Nami we're leaving right now! Luffy's orders but he's too mad at you to give them." Nami looked at Luffy who turned his head away in a pout like a child not wanting to talk to his parent. Even if it was immature, it still hurt seeing him mad at her for giving him several stomach-aches.

"And just how long have you ladies known about this?" Zoro asked Robin, Aika and Kumi.

"Hey, we just found out last night." Aika replied before zipping off before Zoro could scold her. But before they could leave they heard a rumbling sound and as they looked toward the village they could see several tanks approaching it followed by a large battalion of marines with a fierce looking vice admiral leading the way.

"Those marines are heading for the village!" Aika cried.

"What did you do?!" Zoro demanded.

"I…blew up their base." Nami confessed.

"YOU WHAT?!" Usopp squawked.

"It was your idea!"

"I was dancing around making noises! Did you think I was being serious?! This is exactly why I was against helping! The marines think the villagers did all this and now they're gonna destroy their town!"

"Well what was I supposed to do?!" Nami asked.

"Nothing! Then none of this would've happened!"

"NO! I will never EVER turn my back on people who need me!" Nami shouted taking a stand. "I'm going down there! And I'm gonna do whatever I can!"

"Wait! I'm coming to." Usopp said.

"I thought you said you didn't want to help."

"Well you need your friends. And I'll never turn my back on mine. Not again." Usopp said. Nami smiled before hugging the sniper.

"Sorry I called you heartless."

"He really does have a heart doesn't he?" Luffy sniffled.

"Oh cry me a river why don't you?" Zoro muttered.

XXX

The vice admiral glared hatefully as he stood before the villagers. His men parked behind him.

"I thought we could live peacefully as neighbours, but I guess I was wrong. You steal our food! Our medicine! And then you blow up our base!"

"We didn't do any of that!" Hanzo denied.

"Yeah! The Lady of the Coloured Wind did! She gave us food and medicine! Not yours! And she magically freed all of the people you took prisoner!" another villager said.

"Oh really? And I suppose she drew our emblem on the containers too!" the vice admiral said as shattered a crate of medicine branded with the marine logo with a solid kick. "This village is full of nothing but thieves and liars! In the name of justice we're gonna purge this world of this shanty town and all your street rats along with it!" with that order, the tanks began to open fire on the houses blowing them to pieces while other marines began to advance towards the frightened villagers. Two marines armed with flamethrowers aimed their weapons at another house, igniting it, but then **FWOOOOOSH!** A gust of wind suddenly extinguished the fire before it could damage the building. The soldiers looked at each other before repeating the action only to get the same response.

"Again!" the vice admiral commanded, only for the actions to repeat themselves once more.

"Where's that wind coming from?" one of the soldiers asked.

"I don't' know but I feel like something's happening." The other said as a mist began to drift in form the edge of the forest, followed by an eerie music.

"It's the Lady. She's coming~." The little boy smiled excitedly.

"There's no such thing!" the vice admiral denied, but that was when everyone began to hear what sounded like a gong followed by ominous howling accompanied by the music. This was revealed to be Franky banging on some sheet metal with his big fists while Blizzard Kumi howled at the sky loud and proud as Brook played a spiriting melody on his violin. As the marines and villagers looked at the fog, they gasped as it parted to reveal Nami in her outfit standing atop her marbled sky cloud, clima tact in hand. She floated there for a few moments before she began to speed towards the village coming to a sudden stop as she glared at the marines with impending doom. The grunts seemed intimidated before commanding officer pushed them forward.

"What are you waiting for?! Kill her!" he ordered. The marines hesitatingly advanced towards Nami before she blasted them with a gust of wind sending them running in terror.

"Tanks! Fire!" the vice admiral commanded as the war machines aimed their barrels at Nami who raised her hand before swiping it across and as she did a blade of wind sliced all of the tanks in half. This little trick had been done by Zoro who'd been hiding out of sight and cut the tanks form a distance. Nami then pulled her hands back before thrusting them out as a pair of fireballs emerged from behind her and blasted the grunts away which had been provided by Sanji's Diable Janbe. Nami raised her hand to the marines again but they fled into the forest screaming in fear.

"I'll kill you myself, witch!" the vice admiral snarled as he drew his blade and charged at Nami who blocked his attack with her staff.

"You want the opals in this earth so much?" she asked. "Then stay in the earth forever!"

"What are you talking about?!" but the corrupt marine got his answer when Nami threw a seed to the ground which sprouted into a ferocious Devil Pop Green and before the Vice Admiral could even scream, **CHOMP!** The man eating plant swallowed him whole and retracted into the ground, taking him with it to his earthy grave. Nami looked towards the remaining marines before she spoke three words with extreme prejudice.

"Never…come…back." She hissed, before the soldiers fled to the sea the pockets empty and their pants full. The crew watched form the forest as the villager cheered for Nami.

"I knew you'd come." The little boy smiled.

"We can't thank you enough, for all you've done, my Lady." Hanzo said but that was when something caught his eye. "Wait…I know you. Those brown eyes and orange hair. You're that Nojiko girl!" Nami gasped upon being discovered.

"Yeah! You're that nice lady who gave me food for my Mama." The boy realised.

"You've been tricking us!" Hanzo shouted.

"Look! Her shoulder! That tattoo." Another villager pointed. Nami gasped to see her outfit had been slashed by the vice admiral's sword when he attacked her revealing her tattoo.

"It's Cat Burglar Nami! The Straw Hat!" another villager said before they all began to chatter.

"Have you been after our gems all this time?!"

"Where's Straw Hat?!"

"How dare you pretend to be our Lady?!"

"STOP!" the villagers looked to see Usopp emerge from the forest the rest of the crew behind him.

"Who cares if she's a pirate?! All she wanted to do was help you people! Because of her you have your gems back and the marines are gone forever! You should all be on your knees with your heads buried!"

"Usopp, it's ok." Nami said as he pulled off her hood and mask. "I'm sorry I lied. I shouldn't have pretended to be something I wasn't and I shouldn't have tricked you. But I needed to help you. You don't know this, but I know how it feels to have your village taken hostage by evil men. I suffered eight years of that hell and lost my Mother to it. So there was no way I was going to let you all go through the same thing, not while I could help. It doesn't matter if the Lady of the Coloured wind is real or not, because your problems are, and so is this land. You can't wait around anymore for someone to help you. You have to stand up for yourselves now."

"She's right." Hanzo said. "But what can we do?"

"Maybe we can take the mines back!" Aika said hidden amongst the crowd.

"Hey yeah! With the marines gone we can take our gems back and restore the village!" the crowd cheered before they ran off to get busy. "You know, you pirates are nothing like the marines say." Hanzo said.

"After everything they've done to you can you really trust their words?" Usopp asked.

"Hell no! We never needed marines. We can make it on our own now!"

"But with all that said." Another villager spoke up. "We are still just villagers and traders. And this is the New World. How can we defend ourselves? We aren't exactly fighters."

"I think I know how to handle that." Luffy grinned.

XXX

The crowd watched in awe as Luffy stood above the statue of the Lady before he stuck his flag on top.

"As of this moment, this island is my turf! No marines or pirates are allowed to attack or raid this place! And while I strongly encourage you to grow strong and fight together if you ever do find yourselves in real danger, me and my crew will be there! In exchange for a full restocking of our ship for each time we help, of course." the crowd cheered in gratitude and agreement.

XXX

The rest of the day was spent rebuilding the broken houses, restocking the shops with food and mining thousands upon thousands of opals to sell. Of course, the crew were given many as thanks before the evening came and the Straw Hats bid goodbye to their new friends and headed back to the camp. Nami smiled to herself, selling with pride and joy before she felt a breeze blow passed her from behind. She turned around and gasped at what she saw. There, standing before her…was the Lady of the Coloured Wind. She smiled at the pirate as she floated in front of her before she whispered.

"_Thank you._" With that she disappeared leaving Nami completely mesmerised.

"Nami? Did you see something?" Luffy asked.

"Nothing, Luffy. Nothing at all." Nami smiled. "Sorry for all the stomach-aches I gave you."

"Hey it's fine. I know you'll make it up to me right~?" he asked rubbing her shoulders earning chuckle form her.

"Uh guys?" Usopp asked. "I know we need to go but we're forgetting one thing. Chopper's not back yet."

"Yeah we need to find him!" Aika said.

"I don't' think that'll be necessary." Robin said unfolding her arms.

"GUYS! GUYS!" the crew looked to see the little reindeer scampering out of the clearing towards them panting heavily. "I DID IT!"

"_Did what, little bro?_" Blizzard asked.

"I found the medicine!" Chopper said as he held up his hoof to reveal a pink flower with blue spots and orange thorns clenched in it. The crew looked at him in utter amazement, Nami most of all. But then…

"Hey. Luffy, you look all better. But how can that be when this is the only cure?" Chopper asked, puzzled.

"Well you see, Chopper." Nami began awkwardly scratching her head. "Luffy was never sick. He just had a stomach ache. I made the whole thing up so we could stay longer. I didn't even know that flower was real." Chopper looked at Nami with a confused look before his eyes grew as big as dinner plates and he dropped the flower before falling flat on his back.

"Chopper! Aika said as she ran over to him to see him shaking violently his teeth clenched and veins popping all over his temple. "Uh-oh."

"Furball's gonna flip his lid." Franky said as the crew backed leaving Nami to her own defences as Chopper slowly got up, looking as though he was about to explode, before…he stopped shaking and looked surprisingly calm.

"You know, Nami. Running around that forest for three days and nights has made me very hungry." He said as he walked passed her, switching to his heavy point in the process. "I think I'll have some tangerines. Say…every single one in your grove." He glared at her as Nami gasped in horror as Chopper began to head back to the ship.

"Uh, Chopper? Chopper?!" she said worriedly as she hurried after him tugging on his arm. "You're not that mad at me are you? I-I can explain everything! Ca-Can't we talk this over?! Do you want some of my gems?! I'll buy you some cotton candy! Two sticks?! Three stick?! TEN STICKS?!" she wept comically as she hung on to Chopper's leg being dragged across the ground by the reindeer, her pleas falling on deaf ears.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm. No good deed goes unpunished." Robin chuckled as did the rest of the crew.

The End

* * *

**This is my latest oneshot on Deviantart so I'll now be uploading some of my other old stories here. Please review as many as you can and feel free to even give me requests for new Oneshots. I'm open for all suggestions.**

**Yellowpikmin88 signing off **


	23. Runaway Wolf

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard, Aika, Kumi, Silver and Hawk belong to XfangheartX**

**The song Aika was singing is a dub of Let it out by Miho Fukuhara watch?v=iyslEKSijV8  
**

**Usopp and Luffy were singing their version Timon and Pumba's Hula song from the Lion King watch?v=UdPKsWyWj2A**

* * *

Runaway Wolf

It was calm morning in the New World as the Straw Hats went about their current business of the day. As of now, Aika (Luffy's younger sister for those who don't know) was wandering around the ship looking for something to do being that she was bored out of her little skull.

"_I wish I had someone to play with me._" She thought. "_The others are busy and Kumi's getting over a tummy ache from eating too much peanut butter. I knew Blizzard's habits would rub off on her._" She then looked up when she heard a friendly hum to see Nami and Luffy on the upper deck. The former was trimming her tangerine trees. "Maybe big brother or big sis Nami can spare me some time." Aika thought before she went up to meet them.

"Hi, guys." She greeted earning the Captain and navigator's attention as they smiled at her.

"Hey, Aika." Nami smiled at her.

"Enjoying your day?" Luffy asked.

"Not really." Aika frowned. "Chopper said Kumi won't be better till later and everyone else is busy so I'm bored."

"Don't worry, Aika. Once I'm done with my training I'll have time to play." Luffy grinned patting her head. Aika smiled before she eyed the tangerine trees, making her feel a little snacky. She then reached out to pick one but was stopped by Nami who gently slapped her little hand away.

"Ah-ah, Aika no." she scolded gently.

"What did I do?" Aika asked looking a little hurt.

"It's ok, you're not in trouble." Nami smiled as she petted her. "It's just here at my tangerine grove there's one special rule. Know what it is?"

"OH! OH! I KNOW!" Luffy hopped with his hand stretched up. "Never pick the tangerines without permission. Right?"

"Very good, Luffy!" Nami praised before taking a biscuit out of her pocket and waved it in front of his face. "Here! Get a snack!" she said as she flicked the biscuit into the air.

"GOT IT!" Luffy tried to catch the treat in his teeth as it flew over his head before he threw himself off the balcony to go after it and hit the deck with a thud. "I'm ok. I'm fine." The girls laughed at his goof.

"Sorry I didn't ask first. May I have a tangerine, please?" Aika asked.

"Of course, sweetie." Nami smiled as she picked and peeled a nice big one and handed it to her. "Enjoy."

"Thank you." Aika beamed as she began to munch on the tangerine before something else caught her eye. She looked to see a golden band glinting on Nami's left wrist.

"Hey, Nami? What's that?" she pointed as Nami looked down at her wrist.

"Oh this old thing? It was a present from my older sister, Nojiko."

"You have a big sister too?" Aika asked, surprised. "So that makes you a little sister like me, too!" Nami chucked at this.

"Yeah, she gave it to me on the morning I left my old home town to join Luffy and the others. It always brings back the best memories of my little village."

"Wow it's so pretty." Aika gazed at it. "Can I try it on?"

"Oh. I don't know, Aika." Nami said hesitant. "It's really important to me. And it's quite old. Not as strong as you'd think."

"Please? I'll be careful." Aika pleaded. Nami glanced at her for a moment as she pondered the situation before she took off the golden band and handed it to Aika.

"Alright, Aika. You can wear it for a few minutes. Just be careful."

"I will." Aika said as she put the band on her wrist and looked at it adoringly. She twirled on the spot as she watched the band glint in the sunlight. But then, all of a sudden, the band slipped off her wrist and flew off onto the deck below.

"Oops!" Aika yelped. "It must have slipped off my hand!"

"Aika I told you to be careful." Nami said a little disappointed.

"Don't worry, Big Sis. It just landed on the deck, I'll go get it." Aika reassured as she hurried back down to search for the band. The little girl crawled around the deck scanning the blades of grass in search for the slightest glint of gold. But after a few minutes of searching she seemed to be having no luck. But then she got an idea.

"_I know! I'll go get Blizzard. He could sniff the band out._" She thought as she got up from her knees and was about to walk to the kitchen in search of Blizzard when she felt something crunch under her foot. She gasped before she nervously lifted her foot only to gasp again as she saw Nami's band…broken in half. Aika clapped her hands over her mouth in horror at the sight as she tentatively went to pick up the broken band.

"Oh no…" she whispered fearfully.

"Aika! Did you find it?!" she suddenly heard Nami's voice calling her causing her to panic even more.

"_What do I do?_" she thought. But then she noticed Nami coming down the stairs to her. Worried, she quickly put her hands behind her back just as Nami approached her.

"Did you find my band, Aika?" she asked.

"Um well…" Aika muttered, avoiding eye contact with the navigator who clearly noticed her little sister's state.

"Aika, what happened?" she asked.

"I…I started looking for the band but I couldn't find it so I went to get Blizzard to help me but…" Aika tried to finish her sentence but found her throat beginning to go dry.

"Just tell me what happened, Aika. I can tell you're hiding something from me. It's not good for you." Aika whimpered before she screwed her eyes shut and brought her hands out slowly. Even with her eyes closed, she flinched upon hearing Nami gasp in horror.

"What have you done?" Nami whispered.

"I'm sorry." She whimpered. "I didn't see it and I stepped on it. I didn't mean it." She pleaded as she opened her eyes to see Nami take the broken pieces of the band from her outstretched hands, a look of utter despair on her face and the little girls could swear she could see hints of tears building up before Nami turned around and began to walk away.

"I told you to be careful." She said feeling rather hurt.

"B-Big Sis?"

"Not now, Aika." Nami said quietly. "I need to see if Franky or Usopp can fix it."

"I-I'll go with you-"

"NO!" Nami quickly turned back causing Aika to jump back a little at not just her sudden angry outburst but the tears that were now on her face. Nami quickly noticed she'd frightened her and quickly removed her angry expression. "No. J-Just…go play with Kumi or something. I…I need to be alone right now." With that she took her leave, as Aika stood there, feeling very guilty.

"_What have I done? How could I be so clumsy?_" she thought angrily at herself. "_That was one of Nami's most precious treasures and I broke it. Now she's really upset and mad at me. I have to find a way to apologise._"

"Aika?" the girl looked to see Robin passing by. "What's the matter, dear? You look sad."

"Oh, Robin. Nami's mad at me. I accidentally broke her golden wristband and now she's really upset."

"Oh my gosh. That band was really important to her. I hope Usopp or Franky can fix it." Robin hoped.

"I wanna apologise to her but I don't think she wants me around."

"Now, now, Aika. There's nothing wrong with apologising. It was an accident and I'm sure Nami will forgive you." Robin reassured. "I know. Why don't you go maker her some tea? She always enjoys that when she's working on her maps."

"Say, that's a good idea, Robin." Aika said, cheering up a bit.

"There's that smile. Everything will be fine, you'll see."

"Thank you, Robin." Aika said giving her a hug.

"Anytime." Robin smiled back as she returned it.

XXX

Down in the lower levels of the ship, Nami made her way to Usopp's Factory and Franky's workshop where she found the sniper and shipwright working on their latest projects.

"Oh hey, Sis." Franky greeted as they noticed her arrival.

"Hi guys. I kinda need your help." Nami said.

"Sure, what with?" Usopp asked.

"Do you think you could fix this?" Nami asked as she held out her broken band.

"Oh my god!" Franky gasped.

"Isn't that the band Nojiko gave you?" Usopp asked equally shocked.

"Yes." Nami confirmed sadly.

"What happened to it?" Franky asked.

"Aika broke it by stepping on it."

"What?! How did that happen?!"

"I shouldn't have let her try it on. It was too big and it slipped off her hand before she stepped on it while looking for it." Nami explained.

"Hey I'm sure she didn't mean it." Usopp reassured.

"I know she didn't." Nami said.

"Don't worry we can fix it up no problem" Franky said as he took the pieces. This got Nami to smile thankfully.

"Thank you, guys."

"And while we're at it maybe we can give it a tune up." Franky thought causing Nami's smile to waver a little.

"Yeah like we could add some jewels around the band. Make it look even more precious." Usopp suggested.

"Or maybe give it spikes! Then she can put it on her knuckles to improve her punches in battles!" Franky said.

"Uh guys?" Nami tried to say.

"Or maybe I can put some of my dials in it. Like an impact dial or flavour dial so she can keep her favourite perfume in it. Or some pepper spray to ward off stalkers!" Usopp gave another idea.

"Guys?" Nami said a little louder but they kept ignoring her.

"Oh, lasers!" Franky spoke up.

"YES! LASERS, MAN!" Usopp agreed. "And tiny rocket launchers! And a grappling hook!"

"Now you're talking! How about a floatation device in case she falls off her waver?"

"Boys…" Nami growled beginning to lose her patience.

"No! Let's make it transform into a suit of armour!" Franky changed his mind.

"Yeah that's even better! Or how about-"

"SHUT UP!" Nami thundered scaring the two men. "No jewels! No rockets! Or lasers, hooks or armour! Just take the two pieces, and stick them back together! Can you handle that?!"

"S-Sure." They replied. Nami sighed.

"Good. Now if you'll pardon me, I have a map to draw. Just drop off the band when you're finished with it. No need to hurry. And thanks again."

"No problem, Nami." Usopp said as the navigator took her leave before he sighed. "She has no sense of wonder, doesn't she?"

"You got that right. All those smarts and yet no imagination." Franky shook his head sadly.

"What was that?!" Nami voice echoed revealing her still within earshot.

"NOTHING!"

"That's what I thought."

XXX

Meanwhile Aika had made her way to the kitchen to find Sanji working on lunch.

"Sanji?" the cook looked over his should to smile upon seeing her.

"Hello, Aika. How are we today?" he asked.

"Not well." Aika said sadly. "I accidentally broke Nami's golden band."

"Goodness!"

"I want to apologise to her and Robin suggested I bring her some tea."

"Good idea. Nami always enjoys some tea while she works." Sanji smiled. "Just give me a few minutes and I'll some ready for you to give her."

"Thank you Sanji." Aika smiled gratefully. A few minutes passed before Sanji presented Aika with a small tray holding a teapot and cup which she managed to hold quite easily.

"Nami'll probably be in the library by now. I'm sure she'll cheer up after you give this to her." Sanji reassured. Aika smiled thankfully at him before she made her way to the library and sure enough, found Nami there at her mapping desk about two thirds of her way through the map she was drawing.

"Who's there?" she asked before she turned around to see Aika holding the tray. "Oh. Hey, Aika."

"Big Sis, I'm really sorry I broke your special band. I didn't mean to be so clumsy and I'll never touch it again. I…I brought you some tea." Nami looked at her before she smiled a little.

"Thank you. That's very thoughtful, Aika." She said. Aika smiled back, feeling relieved, before she trotted over to Nami with the tray and set it down beside the map.

"Can I pour you some tea, Nami?"

"Please." Aika then went to pick up the pot though due to her small hands and the large handle she found it a little tricky to lift up the heavy pot with one hand. She tried to lean the spout towards the cup but found the weight was causing her hand to shake too much so she decided to place the base of the pot on her hand but this proved to be a very big mistake as her hand touched the lower surface.

"OW!" she yelped from the heat of the pot on her hand causing her to drop it onto the desk and spill its tea over it. Some of it unfortunately landed on Nami's lap causing her as well to cry from the burning.

"AAAH! HOT TEA!" she screamed.

"Oh, no! Big Sis, I'm sorry!" Aika panicked as she tried to wipe her lap with a tea towel.

"I…I'm fine, Aika." Nami panted before she looked back at her desk and gasped. Her map was now a soggy, unrecognisable mess of paper, stained brown by the tea. "My map…"

"Big Sis I…I'm so sorry I…I didn't mean…" Aika tried to speak but found trouble getting the words out knowing how angry the navigator would be with her. The woman herself tentatively approached the desk as she set her hand on its edge whilst she looked at her ruined work, before the desk cracked violently as her fingers turned black with haki causing Aika to flinch. Now on her outward appearance Nami didn't seem that phased but she was now very angry form everything that had happened to her before she turned to face Aika with a frown.

"Aika…go to your room." She said gently.

'Nami I-"

"Now." Nami said trying hard to keep her cool.

"But I-"

"No buts, Aika. Until further notice, you're grounded."

"What's going on?!" the girls looked to see Luffy enter the room. "I heard screaming! Are you girls alright?!"

"No we're fine, Luffy. I was just sending Aika to her room."

"Huh? What for?" Luffy asked confused.

"For breaking my gold band and ruining my map. She needs a time out." Nami explained.

"You did that, Aika?" Luffy asked bewildered.

"It was an accident, Big Brother!" Aika cried hugging his leg. "I would never do something so horrible to Big Sis on purpose! I'm not a bad girl! Can't you do something?! Please!" Luffy looked at his little sister sadly before he looked to Nami who shook her head slightly so Aika wouldn't notice. Luffy bit his lip before he pet Aika on the head.

"You're not a bad girl, Aika" he reassured. "It's like you said, it was only an accident." Aika smiled hopefully at him. "But." He then whispered the next part. "When Nami gets mad like this, you kind of have to give her a wide berth or things can get pretty nasty. Trust me, I know. So just do what she says and in about an hour or two she'll be all better. You'll see." Aika didn't seem convinced though as Luffy turned back to Nami. "I understand, Nami. Aika just needs a little time to learn her lesson."

"Thank you, Luffy." Nami said before she approached Aika and gently took her by the hand. "Come on, Aika." The little girl looked back at Luffy, as she was led away, to see him smile awkwardly and raise his hands as if to say 'sorry, it's out of my hands.' Nami led Aika down to her room before ushering her in.

"Now Aika I want you stay here and think about what you've done. You need to learn to be more careful or you may end getting in more trouble and neither of us want that. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Nami." Aika sniffed.

"Good." Nami replied before closing the door. Aika sat there on her bed when she started to sniffle and her eyes began to dampen. She'd never gotten into this much trouble in her life, let alone with someone she held so dear and even though Nami had kept a straight face, Aika was able to see just how angry she was inside which only made her feel worse. But at that moment she began to hear muffled voices coming from the air vent. She tiptoed over and leaned in closely before she heard the crew talking to each other though their voices were muffled.

"You grounded Aika?" she heard Usopp's voice.

"Don't you think you're being a bit hard on her? She didn't mean to break your band." Franky said.

"I know, guys, but I'm just really stressed. Plus she ruined the map I was working on." Nami said.

"These things can be fixed easily, Nami." Robin argued.

"I know guys. But…" Aika picked her ear as she noticed Nami's voice had lowered, before she pressed her ear closer to try and listen before she heard something that truly stunned her.

"I can't take this anymore. I'll deal with...her later." She gasped. Nami sounded really fed up. But it turns out what she really said was she would 'deal with this mess first and then have a quiet word with her later.'

"Yeah, you're right." Luffy said. "I'm sure Aika will cooperate when you tell her."

"Thanks for understanding how I feel, Luffy. I just think she needs to learn to be more careful if she wants to live with us. Otherwise she could end up getting into situations far worse than this. After all, the New World is no place for a child as young as her to be. I know I've seen children who want to be pirates but never one that's already a pirate." Nami said.

"You got that right. Even with Blizzard training her she's got a long way to go before she can defend herself." Zoro commented. Aika felt herself sink to the floor as she realised how many times she'd put herself in danger and gotten the crew in trouble on her behalf. What place did a defenceless child have among a crew of pirates, who risked their lives daily?

"What reason do I have being here? All the others play their part in the crew, but what do I do? All I've ever done is get caught or in trouble. And now Nami doesn't want me around anymore and that can only mean…she doesn't love me anymore." She whimpered, her eyes watering.

XXX

Aika choked back a few sobs as she finished scribbling a few words on a scrap of paper which she left on her little bed before she slung on a small rucksack, went over to the window and opened it, looking down to see the ship was just a jump away from the dock. And that's just what she did as she leapt form the open window and landed safely on the dock without falling in the sea. She looked back at the Sunny to see no one was currently on deck to spot her.

"I won't be a burden to them anymore. I'd never forgive myself if Big brother lost his life and his dream for my own safety. Not when I don't even know my own dream." She wiped her tears away before she hurried off into the nearby town before any of the crew noticed her. As the little wolf-girl sadly paced her way through the streets she looked at the ground lost in her thoughts of what she'd been 'forced' to leave behind. But at that moment she bumped into someone and as she looked up she saw to horror it was a marine. The man turned and looked down at her.

"Oh, are you ok, young lady?" he asked. Aika trembled at the sight of him before she turned tail and ran. "Hey wait!" the marine reached out and grabbed her by her backpack.

"LET ME GO!" Aika screamed.

"Calm down! I'm not gonna hurt you!" the marine tried to calm her but Aika was having none of it.

"I'm not going to Impel Down you marine dog!" she shouted before she bit his hand, making sure to switch her teeth to fangs, causing him to yell in pain but refused to let go of the backpack which was pulled away from Aika as she made a run for it.

"I can't let them catch me! If they do I'll be killed!" Aika thought as she continued to run before she spotted a nearby forest. "They won't find me in there! I'll just hide for a while until they give up looking." The girl hurried into the forest looking back to be sure she wasn't being followed, but at that moment her foot caught on a root causing her to become airborne for a few seconds before she found herself tumbling down a hill, crashing through bushes and branches, switching back and forth between wolf and human with every tumble, falling deeper and deeper into the forest before landing with a bump at the bottom, horribly dazed and scuffed up in her animal form. She groaned as she looked up at the canopy, her vision blurring as she began to pass out from the fall.

"Big…Brother…" she murmured before she went limp, the wind blowing against her fur softly. But not too far away, a middle-aged female wolf happened to be passing by. She was a majestic young animal with a truly dazzling coat; her stomach and legs were pure white whilst her upper half was blanketed by two different shades of grey. A light smoky one followed by a silver one on top. As the colours and her graceful movements implied, her name was Silver Wind and she was the current Alpha female of the pack she inhabited. As she was making her way back towards the den when she caught an unfamiliar scent on her sharp nose.

"What's that?" she wondered when she looked down into the clearing and gasped when she spotted Aika lying there. Quickly, she jumped down the hillside to reach her and looked in deep concern at the pup.

"You poor little thing. How did you end up way out here?" she asked sadly as she nudged Aika with her nose causing her to moan, earning a second gasp from her. "You're alive?!" she looked around before she gently picked Aika up by her scruff and with a few leaps back up the hill, carried her away.

XXX

Back on the Sunny, the evening was beginning to close in and Kumi, now over her stomach ache, had gone down to Aika's room to get her for dinner, only to find the door closed.

"_Aika~! Are you there~?!_" she barked. "_It's time for tea!_" no answer. "_Come on, Aika you can come out now, I know everything._" Still no reply. Kumi whined as she scratched at the door, but to no avail before she bounded to the kitchen where the rest of the crew were waiting.

"Where's Aika, Kumi?" Sanji asked earning a few yaps form the puppy.

"She said she's not answering her door." Chopper translated.

"She must still think she's grounded." Usopp said.

"I'll go get her." Luffy said, beginning to stand up, but Nami got up first.

"No. Let me." She said before heading down to Aika's room and knocking on the door. "Aika sweety. You can come out; we're all waiting for you." Once again no reply came from within. Nami sighed.

"Aika I'm sorry for getting mad at you. I know you're a good girl. I thought you just needed to learn to be more careful. I'm not mad at you anymore, so please come out. I'll give you a big hug if you do." She smiled holding her arms out, expecting her little sister to open the door and jump into them. But when she didn't, Nami frowned. "Alright now you're just being hard on yourself. Usopp and Franky fixed my bracelet and I redid my map. Even better than the last one so everything's fine." Still quiet. "Well if you're not coming out, I'm coming in." she said before opening the door, but she would've wished she hadn't when she found, to horror, the room was empty, the window was opened and a note on the bed. The navigator took a long look at the scene before her before she let out a scream of pure anguish. This of course brought the crew running to the scene.

"Nami what's going on?!" Luffy shouted.

"AIKA'S GONE!" Nami wailed as the crew saw the bare room. They all paled.

"ROBIN IS SHE HERE?!" Nami panicked as the archaeologist hurriedly closed her eyes and crossed her arms before she gasped just as shocked.

"She's not on board."

"Look a note!" Chopper pointed to the sheet of paper as Zoro picked it up and gritted his teeth upon reading it.

"Zoro what does it say?! Has she been kidnapped?!" Luffy asked.

"She's…left the crew." Zoro whispered. Three…two…one.

"**WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!**"

"L-LEFT THE…HOW?! WHAT?! WHEN?! WHO?! WHERE?! WHY?!" Luffy babbled in disbelief as Robin took the letter from Zoro to see for herself causing her to tremble.

"She heard us talking after Nami grounded her. She doesn't believe she's worthy of being in our crew. That she doesn't have a purpose, causes nothing but trouble and only burdens us by getting caught and having to hide all the time. She also doesn't believe Nami loves her anymore for saying the sea's no place for a child and for ruining your band and map." Nami also looked at the letter before she fell to her knees, tears already escaping her eyes.

"But…but…THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Usopp suddenly thundered. "How can she do something so stupid?!"

"Usopp, my little sister is not stupid!" Luffy snarled grabbing the sniper by the collar.

"Don't you get it?!" Usopp pushed him off. "She's making the exact same mistake I did! Doubting her worth and thinking she's just dead weight to the point where she leaves us thinking we'd be better off without her. If we don't stop her we're gonna lose her for good! I won't let that happen!" the crew stopped when they heard sobbing and looked to see Nami crying heavily.

"It's all my fault." She wept. "How could I say something like that? How could I make her think I don't love her anymore? Just because I said the New World's no place for a child doesn't mean I didn't want her around." Luffy looked at his fiancé as he knelt down and hugged her.

"It's not your fault, Nami. It was out of context. She couldn't have gone far. Guys, you know what this means. We're going out to find her and nobody eats til we do!"

"You're giving an order with that condition?" Sanji said in disbelief. The crew then made their way out onto the dock as Blizzard, Kumi and Chopper began to sniff around for her scent before the white wolf-dog looked towards the town.

"_I've got her scent! And it's not too old!_" he said.

"Good job Blizzard!" Chopper praised.

"THEN LET'S FIND MY SISTER!" Luffy roared as the crew disembarked, fuelled with worry and determination.

XXX

Aika groaned as she began to feel herself regain consciousness, but as she opened her eyes she found herself dangling in the jaws of a large animal that was carrying her to who-knows-where.

"AAAAHH!" she yelped causing the animal to drop her in surprise and as the little wolf-girl picked herself up, she found herself staring into the eyes of a white and silver wolf. Not as tall as Blizzard but still pretty big.

"Oh you woke up quicker than I thought you would." The wolf said, revealing itself to be female by its voice. Aika gasped as she backed away until she hit a tree.

"Please don't eat me!" she whimpered covering her eyes with her paws. The she-wolf seemed confused as she approached the pup.

"Now why would I want to eat you?" Aika uncovered her eyes, a little puzzled, when she saw her reflection in a nearby puddle.

"I'm in my wolf form. I must have passed out in it so she must not know I'm a human." She thought.

"Are you alright, little one? I found you out cold on the forest floor. It looked like you took a nasty fall." The wolf said.

"I…I'm alright." Aika said. "But why were you carrying me?"

"Well I couldn't just leave you there. Not when there are bears and cougars around. They would eat you up without a second thought in this forest. So I decided to take you back to my pack. I'm the Alpha female. My name is Silver wind. What's yours?"

"It's…It's Aika."

"Aika. What a pretty name to match your face." Silver Wind smiled at her and Aika couldn't help smiling back. "So what's a cub like you doing all the way out here? Were you separated from your pack? No that can't be it; I don't smell other wolves on you."

"I…I don't have a pack. Not anymore. I left it."

"Why that's horrible. They must have been a terrible family to drive you away."

"No. It's not their fault." Aika murmured under her breath.

"But surely your Mother must've cared for you." Silver hoped.

"She did…until she died." Aika sniffed. "I don't have a family anymore." Silver Wind looked at Aika as she sniffed sadly before the Alpha frowned seriously.

"Well then. You can come join our family." Silver smiled.

"M-Me?"

"Of course. And if you like, I'd be more than happy to care for you. I know how it feels to lose family." Aika gasped before she thought deeply.

"Well…I don't have a home to return to." Aika replied before Silver licked her on the cheek.

"Then welcome to the family. I promise, the others are very welcoming. You'll fit right in I'll make sure of it." She smiled before she began to walk off with Aika following close behind. After a few minutes of walking the pair reached passed over a small hill where they saw on the other side a large clearing which held a large cave and a small lake with a budding river. Several wolf pups were roughhousing in the clearing while others were being groomed by their Mothers and there were even some suckling new-borns as well. Elsewhere Aika could see some male wolves standing guard at different points of the clearing and few were letting the cubs chase them or nip at their ears playfully. In short, it looked like a paradise for wolves and as Silver Wind led Aika into the clearing the pack looked up at the new arrival, surprised.

"Alpha Silver Wind. Welcome back." A black male wolf said bowing to her. His name was Coal Claw as he looked at Aika curiously causing the little girl to hide behind Silver. "And who is this?"

"This is Aika, Coal. I found her passed out down by the river. She has no home."

"Understood, Milady. I'm all for new members to the pack but remember Hawk Talon." Coal warned.

"I know, Coal. I'm well aware of it." Silver replied. "Come along Aika" she added before she entered the cave, Aika padding along, looking back to see Coal looked rather concerned. As they entered the cave they saw a few other wolves scattered around the interior, gnawing on the remains of several animals which nearly caused Aika to faint from both the sight and smell. And as they reached the back of the cave they found a large male wolf about the size of Blizzard lying on the cold stone ground. He was a mixture of shaggy browns and bore several scars: one across his nose, two on his lower back and three on the front of his right hind leg.

"Who's he?" Aika asked a little scared.

"That's Hawk Talon. He's the Alpha Male of the pack, and my Mate." Silver wind said before she leaned down and licked his face gently. "Hawk? Hawk wake up." she called to the wolf who lazily opened his red eye to look at her.

"What is it, Silver?" he asked grumpily.

"We have a new member." Silver smiled.

"A new-born? You woke me up just for that?" Hawk Talon grumbled.

"No. She's not from our pack." Silver said.

"You brought in an outsider?!" Hawk barked standing up.

"It's ok. She's only a cub." Silver reassured as she stepped aside to reveal Aika who didn't look comfortable in the slightest. Hawk Talon raised a brow upon seeing her before he approached the puppy and leaned down to her height before he sniffed her a little only to real back in what appeared to be disgust.

"Hawk," Silver said softly Hawk looked at Aika, knowing what his Mate was implying as he sighed.

"Silver. She won't replace those we lost." He said.

"I know, Hawk. But she has no home anymore and she needs a Mother." Silver debated.

"But, Silver look at her. She's not like the others. No. You have to take her back." Hawk said turning his back.

"But she'll be killed!"

"If her pack no longer wants her then-"

"Well I want her!" Silver argued.

"Silver I refuse to let anymore harm come to this family!" Hawk snapped.

"What threat could she possibly pose?!" Silver shouted. **GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWRRRR!** Hawk roared at his Mate causing Aika to scream and hide behind a rock. The Alpha Male panted heavily while Silver stood her ground glaring at him before he sighed again having calmed down as he glanced at the frightened Aika.

"Was she alone?"

"I found her passed out by the river. She told me she left her old pack and her Mother is dead." Silver explained.

"Are you certain of this?" Hawk asked.

"Yes. There was no scent of other wolves on her. She must have been alone for a while." Hawk took another glance at Aika who shrank behind the rock.

"I don't like her. She reeks…of humans. And fresh ones." He growled.

"Then would you allow her to meet the same fate as our children?" Silver questioned before she suddenly recoiled from what she'd said as she saw Hawk's expression turn from bitter to melancholy. "I...I'm sorry I-"

"No. You've said enough." Hawk murmured. "You can keep her." Silver looked up in surprise before she smiled joyfully.

"Hawk I promise she'll be a wonderful-"

"I said she can stay! But she's no daughter of mine." Hawk glared. "I'm going back to sleep and take that…'pup' with you." He finished as he went back to his resting spot as Silver looked on sadly at him before she went to Aika who hadn't moved an inch out from behind her rock.

"Come on, Aika. It's alright." She said gently as the pup crawled out shakily as they left the cave.

"He's so scary." Aika whimpered. "What did I do?"

"It's not your fault, Aika. And Hawk was never like this. It's not you he hates. It's humans. They killed half of our pack and our children years ago and he's held a grudge against their kind ever since as well as become over protective of what's left of the pack. I imagine you just reminded him of his loss due to your scent. I take it you had an encounter with some humans before I found you?"

"Uh-huh. One tried to take me away but I bit him on the hand." Aika said earning a chuckle from Silver.

"Well aren't you a brave little one. I'm sure the boys will grow quite fond of you." She joked. "Now let's get some sleep." Aika chuckled back though in her heart she knew fitting in here would be harder than Silver was making it out to be.

XXX

Back in the town, the midnight hour at hand, the Straw Hats were hot on Aika's trail with Blizzard leading the way as the crew followed him until they reached a building they hoped they wouldn't see: a marine base.

"In there?" Nami asked fearfully earning a grim nod from Blizzard. Luffy on the other hand was snarling.

"Franky." He spoke.

"Yeah?"

"Shoot it down." Luffy ordered. The crew chose not to oppose his order this time as Franky held out his palm.

"Coup de Vent!" **BLOW!** The cyborg released a blast of compressed wind form his palm obliterating the bases tall iron doors like tin foil and sending several tens of marines behind them flying. The crew strode in as they looked around the room of shocked marines before Blizzard charged at one of them in particular and pinned him to the ground snarling at him ferociously. Luffy glared at the marine as he approached him, shooing Blizzard off so he could pick the man up by the front of his shirt.

"Alright where is she?!" he shouted.

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb with me! We're looking for a little girl with black hair. My dog can smell her scent all over you so what have you done with her?! If you've sent her off to HQ I swear I'll break your neck like a toothpick, burn this base to the ground, burn the ashes and then piss on them!"

"She's not here!" the marine trembled.

"YOU MEAN-"

"NONONO! I didn't take her! She pulled away from me when I tried to grab her. We just got her back pack!" the marine said as he showed Luffy Aika's rucksack. "She ran into the forest. I doubt she got far though. It's swarming with wolves." Luffy glared at the man before throwing him to the ground and picking up the rucksack.

"Thanks." He spat before he stared at the marines knocking them all out. "Free all their transponder snails. I don't want reinforcements coming here." He added as the crew removed the phone gear from the snails rendering them wild again before they left the base.

"Well at least we know she's still on the island." Sanji said trying to reassure the situation a little.

"I'm going to the forest." Luffy said. "Nami and Blizzard come with me. The rest of you go back to the ship in case more marines show up. Once we find her we're getting out of here."

"No! I'm going with you three." Usopp stood up. "There's no way I'm losing another member of this crew. Not when they're doing the same thing I did."

"I'm coming too!" Kumi yipped. "Aika's my Master so I'm with Luffy's group.

"Fine with me. The rest of you cool with that?" Luffy asked. The crew nodded before they headed back for the Sunny while Luffy took his group towards the dark forest. This time they wouldn't hit a dead end.

XXX

The next morning, Aika awoke to find herself curled up next to Silver Wind's side and while the warm feeling of the wolf's fur was soothing, she soon felt her smile fall as she remembered what she'd left behind.

"Hey you're Aika, right?" she looked up to see a group of wolf cubs approaching her.

"Yes I am." She replied a little shy.

"My name's Fir Bark." Said one of the male pups who smiled at her. "This is my sister, Silk."

"Hello." A brown wolf with waves of white through her coat smiled.

"I'm Dandelion." A golden blonde pup yipped as she bonded around Aika, supposedly wanting to play tag.

"And I'm Bedrock." A dark grey male cub said.

"Nice to meet you." Aika smiled a little at the friendly pups.

"You must be finding it a little hard fitting in so we thought you could use some cheering up." Fir Bark said.

"You wanna come play with us?" Silk asked. Aika looked at the cubs before she felt her spirits lift a little. It had been so long since she'd had friends as young as her. Perhaps this was what she needed to adjust to her new life.

"I'd love to."

"Great. How about hide and seek tag." Dandelion suggested. "When you're found you have to jump in the pond to be safe cause if the seeker gets you you're it."

"Sound like fun." Aika grinned.

"I'll count first." Bedrock said as he lay down with his paws over his eyes, before the other pups giggled and ran off to hide, Aika following them. She looked around the den before hiding in a nearby bush just as Bedrock had finished counting and began sniffing around for his friends. Aika kept quiet as a mouse as she watched the cub wander around the clearing before he looked to a large rock and ran behind it before Dandelion came bounding out with Bedrock chasing her, nipping at her heels before she jumped into the pond laughing like a hyena.

"Can't catch me, slowpoke!" she giggled as she paddled around in the pond.

"I'll will someday, Dandy." Bedrock chuckled before he went back to searching. He quickly found Fir Bark in a small burrow and Silk hiding underneath some of the sleeping adults, both of whom he failed to catch. Aika giggled at their antics when she saw the pup approaching the bush and at that moment she jumped out of the bush in front of him.

"BOO!" she barked causing him to leap out of her path and she made a dash for the pond and jumped in, the other cubs laughing as she did so.

"We win!" she cheered.

"Wow you're pretty great for a beginner." Bedrock praised.

"Yeah I always love to have fun." Aika smiled. Perhaps she could make a home out of this place.

Meanwhile, Luffy and his group were currently trekking through the forest, trying to pick up Aika's scent and needless to say, their worry had only gotten worse.

"Can't you sniff any harder, Blizzard?!" Luffy asked keeping his eyes peeled.

"_If I sniffed any harder my nostrils would split!_" Blizzard barked. "_Just true and stay calm, Luffy we'll find her._" Nami couldn't help the sadness she felt seeing Luffy like this.

"I know you're worried, Luffy, we all are. But we will get her back safely, I promise." She said as she hugged him. "Cross my heart." She added with the motion, which lifted Luffy's optimism a little as he copied the gesture over his scar. As the group continued to search though they heard a nearby growling before something large and brow leapt out from the trees in attempt to tackle Luffy who easily dodged it, revealing the interloper to be a large cougar, and it looked hungry.

"_Beat it, pussycat. We don't have time to deal with you._" Blizzard glared.

"_Hand over the pup and I just might be satisfied enough to not eat the rest of you._" The big cat replied hungrily causing Kumi to tremble but not for long when Blizzard placed a protective paw on her shoulder and smiled at her.

"No way are we giving you Kumi for a snack." Luffy scowled. "Now I'm gonna count to three and if you don't get your hairy ass out of our sight by then, you'll see something scarier than you can imagine. One…"

"_Nothing scares me, human!_" the cougar denied.

"Two…" Luffy said taking a step forward. The cougar growled in annoyance before it lunged at Luffy, jaws and claws both spread wide.

"Three." Luffy spoke before he stared the animal directly in the eye causing it to land and skid to halt about a foot before him. "Get lost." He glared viciously causing the big cat to become a frightened kitten and dash off into the forest. "Well that was a waste of time." Luffy muttered. When at that moment Blizzard sniffed the air rapidly.

"_Hold on. I think I've got something!_" he said as he bounded off, the others close behind him when Blizzard noticed something on a nearby tree which made the others gasp when they saw it. It was Aika's blue dress snagged on a bush. Luffy picked it up in fear as he looked around for any sight of her but found none.

"Is…is she-"

"Don't panic, Luffy it's only her dress. She could still be nearby." Usopp reassured as Blizzard took a whiff of the clothing and as he did he looked to the bottom of the hill and padded down to see a set of paw prints about the same size as Kumi's but slightly differently shaped. What's more there was another trail alongside it which was much larger.

"_Look! Her paw prints!_" Kumi barked as the group joined Blizzard beside the small river.

"_Her scent's much stronger. It goes north. And she wasn't alone. She had company._" Blizzard said.

"You're saying a wolf found her?" Luffy asked.

"_Positive and I imagine she went with it to its den. Well the good news is she's alive. I doubt those wolves would harm her._"

"Then that's where we're going." Luffy said. "Let's go." He added before they took off once more after Blizzard. Now they had a trail.

XXX

Back at the den, Aika had finished playing with her new pup friends and was currently taking a small nap having tired herself out from all the games she'd played. But she was soon awoken by Silver licking her face.

"Aika. Wake up dear." She called.

"What is it, Silver?" Aika asked.

"It's time to go hunting."

"Hunting?"

"Well yes. We have to eat don't we?" Silver said as she and several of the wolves began to leave the den, Hawk Talon leading the way.

"Come on, Aika~!" she looked to see Fir bark and his gang running after the adults. "We need to learn to hunt too." Though she felt a little reluctant, Aika followed after them as they travelled about a mile through the forest before stopping.

"Ok everyone, you know the drill." Hawk said as they prepared to disembark. "Adults go after any large prey you can find. Deer, pike and if you work in teams maybe a cougar. I'll be supervising the pups today."

"**Yes, Alpha.**" The adults nodded before heading off into the forest to find food.

"Good luck, Aika." Silver smiled as she went after her comrades leaving Aika and the pups alone with Hawk.

"Alright you runts. This is your first hunting session so pay attention." Hawk instructed pacing back and forth like a drill sergeant. "Your prey will be rabbits and squirrels. Understood?"

"**Yes, Alpha.**" The pups said in unison.

"Y-Yes, Haw-Alpha!" Aika stuttered as Hawk rolled his eyes.

"Then begin. I'll be watching." He said as the pups ran passed him into the foliage. Aika sniffed around the clearing when she spotted a couple of squirrels gathering acorns. An adorable sight that made the little girl's heart swell, but knowing she was being supervised she felt she was at an impasse. Aika knew she wouldn't harm a mouse let alone a squirrel. She couldn't possibly kill one. But then she remembered this was her home now and she would need to make changes and sadly hunting would have to be one of them. She slowly sneaked through a bush that was near the squirrels before she readied to pounce on them. But as she leaped, her foot snagged on a branch causing her to tumble out of the bush alerting the squirrels which dashed away from her in fright.

"Wait come back!" she said as she chased after the squirrels, running circles around rocks and bushes until the two rodents scampered up a tree which Aika ran nose first into. She rubbed her snout before she heard angry chattering as she looked up to see the squirrels squeaking at her angrily before they began pelting her with acorns.

"Ow! Ow-ow-ow-ow-! Stop it!" she cried as she ran away from the pissed off squirrels as Hawk shook his head. Some of the cubs giggled at the acorns stuck in her fur.

"Very funny." Aika grumbled.

"Come on, Aika it's not that hard. Why don't you try rabbits?" Dandelion suggested. Aika nodded before she took a different route through the forest until she spotted a little brown rabbit nibbling some grass in a nearby clearing.

"Ok. This time for sure. No getting caught in bushes and no more tripping over my feet. I'm gonna catch this bunny and prove I'm capable of being a wolf. Even though bunnies are adorable." She then readied herself before she pounced towards the rabbit which took off like a shot. The little wolf girl dashed after the small animal, keeping clear of any roots or rocks that would trip her up.

"Here bunny-bunny~! Here bunny~!" she called but the rabbit seemed to have the upper hand as it was able to keep a few feet ahead of her and as she chased it through a nearby shrub the last thing she saw was the rabbit diving down its burrow, but she didn't have time to stop as she went headfirst into the burrow. She looked to see the rabbit only a few inches away before it squeaked angrily at her and scampered off down its tunnel. Aika sighed sadly at messing up again but as she tried to take her head out of the burrow she found she couldn't.

"Uh…hello? Help! I'm stuck!" she cried for help. At that moment some of the adult wolves returned to the clearing with a successful haul. Silver Wind was among the group carrying a deer in her mouth by its leg. But she soon dropped it when she saw Aika with her head in the rabbit hole.

"Aika!" she barked as she ran over to the burrow and dug at the edges to loosen the dirt before pulling Aika out. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I was trying to catch a rabbit but I got my head stuck. I couldn't even catch a squirrel."

"Now, now, I'm sure you'll have done fine for your first hunting practise."

"Guess again." The pair looked to see Hawk Fang and with him were the other pups, each of them holding a prize of either a rabbit or squirrel. "Why did you pull her out of that burrow, Silver?"

"She was stuck, Hawk. She needed help."

"It's disappointing enough that she couldn't catch one animal, as well as getting her head stuck, but you digging her out only added insult to injury. The least she could've done was free herself."

"You're being too hard on her. With time she'll learn." Silver argued.

"If you keep holding her paw, then she'll never learn." Hawk scolded.

"Can't you at least try to consider her feelings, just once?!" Silver shouted, beginning to feel hurt.

"Her feelings?! What about mine?! I didn't ask for this! You think you can just pluck some human-scented runt like a flower and just expect me to accept her as our child?! Then you have another thing coming, Silver! A pup that can't even pull its head out of a rabbit hole is no kin of mine. My children were capable of staying out of trouble." Aika gasped silently when she heard that last part.

"Hawk Talon!" Silver berated but the Alpha turned his back and walked away with the other wolves, leaving the two of them alone. Silver sighed as she looked away, shedding a tear as she did. She wiped her eyes quickly though as she turned to Aika who looked just as sad.

"I'm so sorry for his behaviour, Aika." She apologised.

"No. He was right. All I do is get into trouble and cry for others to help me out of it. I'm nothing but a burden!" she cried before running off back to the den in tears before Silver could reach out to her.

XXX

When they arrived back at the den, the afternoon was drawing to an end so the pack decided to eat early, mainly so the adults could prepare for their watch duties. But Aika wasn't in such spirits to eat. Not only was she too sad to be hungry but the fact the meal consisted of raw carcasses didn't help what little appetite she had. Despite both Silver and the puppies treating her well, Aika just felt this emptiness in her gut; that she just didn't belong here.

"I'm a nuisance no matter where I go. What place to have if all I do is cause trouble?" she thought sadly. "When Have I ever done anything deserving of a home?" she sniffled without a hope in the world as her mind started to drift when a sudden memory drifted into her mind's eye.

_**~Memories~**_

Luffy was making his way across the deck to the men's quarters sulking. Nami had ordered him to clean up the aforementioned room, despite the fact he no longer lived in it. It was a drag but Luffy had no choice in the matter. As he approached the quarters he heard a pair of little feet dashing around inside. Assuming it was Chopper Luffy opened the door only to find Aika hurrying around the room, putting the scattered clothes away and pulling the dishevelled sheets back over their respective beds.

"Aika?"

"Oh hi, Luffy." She greeted him.

"Did you do all this?" he asked.

"Yeah I saw you looking all grumpy when Nami told you to clean up this mess so I decided to it for you."

"Aika you didn't have to do my chore for me. Now Nami's gonna think I made you do it." Luffy whined worriedly.

"It's ok; I wanted to cheer you up. And Nami won't find out, cause it'll be our little secret. I won't say a word." Aika winked at him before hooking her pinkie with his. "Cross my heart, hope to die, eat a thousand needles if I lie. Sealed with a kiss." She recited before kissing Luffy on the cheek. The captain seemed surprised at first before he grinned with a blush and pulled Aika into a hug.

"Have I told you you're the best little sister a guy could want?" he asked as he kissed her cheek back.

"Shishishi. You could tell me again." Aika giggled.

"You're the best little sister I could ask for and I love you." Luffy beamed as he continued to hug her.

"I love you too, Big Brother." Aika smiled.

~~~~~~

Zoro was up in the crow's nest doing hand stands while holding a gargantuan weight on his feet, when Aika came through the trap door.

"Hey Zoro, can we play sword fight?" she asked holding up her wooden swords when she noticed. "Oh. You're training, never mind." She was about to leave when Zoro stopped her.

"Hold on. Gimme one of those swords." He said holding out one of his hands while using the other to stand. Aika blinked at him before giving him the sword. The first mate held it out to her as he continued to do hand stands with his one arm. "Well let's go."

"Are you sure?"

"Do I look unsure to you?" Aika shrugged before she ran at him and began swinging her sword playfully as Zoro blocked her attacks as he continued to train. He had to admit, both lifting the weight with one arm and playing with Aika at the same time was proving to be more challenging than the training before. Perhaps this could be a new routine for him. Better than her asking him to play during his nap.

"Hehe. Is that all you got, squirt?" he grinned.

"Oh I'm just getting warmed up, moss head." Aika laughed as she kept 'attacking' him.

"Oh great. Dart board's rubbed off on you." he groaned earning another laugh from Aika as they continued to train/play.

~~~~~~

Aika now stood beside Usopp, the sniper tending to his pop greens. Aika picked up a few of the seeds as she planted them in the garden before taking a watering can and pouring it over the plants causing them to sprout healthily.

"Am I doing this right, Usopp?" she asked.

"Yes, very nice, Aika. You're growing into quite the gardener." Usopp grinned before one of the sprouts Aika had planted popped into a devil startling the two before it surprisingly let out a purr and nuzzled Aika making her giggle.

"Hey your first boyfriend." Usopp snickered causing Aika to blush red.

"You jerk!" she barked before the devil clamped its mouth over Usopp's head.

"GAH! I WAS ONLY JOKING! CALL HIM OFF!" he squawked trying to pull the plant off his head while Aika burst out laughing.

~~~~~~

Sanji was making his way to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner when he found Aika standing at the sink washing up.

"Aika."

"Hey, Sanji."

"What are you doing?"

"Washing up, silly what's it look like?

"No I mean, I'm on dish duty today." Sanji said a little puzzled.

"Yeah but you have a very big dinner planned for tonight and you're gonna need lots of time. So I decided to get all these dishes out of the way so you wouldn't have to waste any time on them." Sanji looked at her before he smiled.

"That's so thoughtful of you, Aika, thank you." He said giving her a hug. "For that you get extra dessert tonight."

"Yay!" Aika cheered.

~~~~~~

Chopper was curled up in the sickbay bed, coughing a little and his little blue nose was red around the edges revealing the reindeer was suffering from a cold. But at that moment Aika came in, wearing a little nurse hat and holding a tray with a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of cookies on it. Chopper looked up to see her and smiled at her arrival.

"Hey Aika." He said a little hoarse.

"Hi, Chopper. How's my little fluffy patient?" Aika asked sweetly as she set the tray down.

"Better since you started taking care of me. I can't thank you enough, Aika." Chopper beamed at her.

"After all the times you've made me feel better it's the least I can do."

"You really have the heart of a doctor, Aika. Maybe I could make you my apprentice." Chopper suggested, earning a giggle from Aika.

'Sure would be great to learn to take care of myself and others. Especially if you get sick again." Chopper smiled.

"I wonder how Doctorine will react when she finds out I've become a teacher too?" he wondered. "I'm so lucky you joined our crew, Aika."

"I'm glad too." Aika agreed, before putting one of the cookies she'd brought in Chopper's mouth and pecked his forehead.

~~~~~~

Aika was now standing beside Robin's flower garden watering it generously when Robin herself came passing by holding a stack of books in her arms while a few more were 'walking' behind her having been given legs by her powers.

"Oh hello, Aika. I was meaning to water my flowers at some point. Thank you." She smiled at her as she put the watering can down before she hurried over to Robin and took the books she was carrying out of her arms.

"Here, let me get those. She insisted.

"Aika, you don't have to help me put these away. I can handle them quite easily. Plus you already watered my garden." Robin said.

"It's ok, I want to help. You've been teaching me so much so the least I can do is help you tidy up." Robin smiled before she pet the little girl lovingly on the head.

"Well aren't you a little star." She smiled as Aika grinned back at her. "Would you like me to read you a story for your hard work?"

"Yes please!" Aika beamed as Robin lead over to one of the couches and pulled a book down from the shelf while Aika curled up to her side before the archaeologist began the story.

~~~~~~

Down in the workshop, Franky was lying flat on his front peering under his work bench when Aika came wandering in.

"Franky? Why are you lying on the floor?"

"Oh hey, Lil' Sis. I just dropped my hammer behind the work bench. I can't fit these massive gorilla arms under it and my mini arms are too short. I'll have to put my project on hold until I can get my hammer back." Aika frowned when she heard this. Being a lover of Franky's inventions she wasn't gonna stand by and see his work halted by a problem as small as this. She made her way to the work bench before lying down on the floor as well to see the hammer lying just underneath it. With that she stuck her arm under the bench and as she reached out she felt her fingers grip the hammer before she pulled the tool out from under the desk.

"I got it!" she cheered.

"Alright, Aika!" Franky praised with his pose. "You helped me out of a SUPER tight spot there! Thanks a lot." He grinned taking the hammer and in a matter of seconds finished the remainder of his project. "Done!"

"What is it?" Aika glanced at the odd contraption.

"Just watch." The cyborg smirked as he flipped a switch causing a couple of glasses to come out of the front along with a pair of nozzles just above them before they filled the glasses to the brim with cola. Then, a couple of mechanical arms popped out of the side which proceeded to decorate the drinks with little umbrellas, citrus fruit wedges and crazy straws.

"I've been working on this cocktail machine to help out on those hot days when Sanji needs a little back up making drinks for us. Thanks to you I was able to finish it off today and for that you're our first customer." He grinned handing her one of the colas. Aika grinned back as she accepted it.

"Thanks, Franky. It's SUPER!"

~~~~~~

Blizzard was sprawled out on the deck growling as he rolled around on the deck and chewed at his fur in a frustrated manner. Aika noticed her large canine friend, raising her finger in both curiosity and concern when she spotted he kept trying to reach his back with both his legs and mouth, but failed to do so as he began to whine. Realising what was wrong; Aika dashed over to Blizzard and in a quick but gentle motion, scratched his back causing him to stop dead before letting out a long sigh and flopped onto his side. Aika chuckled as she rubbed his belly.

"_Ahhh~. Much better. Thank you so much, Aika. I always hate it when I get an inch in that one place I can never reach._"

"No problem, Blizzard. I know exactly how that feels since I'm part wolf too. If you ever get that itch again I'll be here to make you all better." Aika said as she scratched his ears, causing Blizzard to tackle her to the ground and lick her face earning a flood of giggles from her.

"I love you too." She laughed, giving him a peck on the cheek and hugging his furry neck.

~~~~~~

The crew were now gathered outside where Brook had his piano set up, the skeleton himself was sitting at the front of the instrument dressed up in a black suit whilst Aika was perched on top of the piano garbed in a pretty blue aquamarine dress, her little pink cherry blossom hanging around her neck.

"Thank you all for coming, everyone, Aika and I have a good one tonight." Brook smiled before he set down a tone dial which began to play a melody of him playing his guitar as he began to play the piano. The music played for a few moments before Aika began to sing.

"_**Let it all out, let it all out  
You don't have to think your heart is made of steel  
Come away now, from your own doubt  
Like a flower of hope that's growing in a field, you will heal  
Although the road has changed you  
And the world has often failed you  
You've gotta carry on and show them you're strong. You've gotta bury what is past and gone  
Some days will be worse than others  
But you've gotta find another waaaaaaa-aaaaaaaaa-aaaaaaaaay~!**_

_**Through pain and fear, or rain and tears,  
We will hold on to the light.  
We'll chase the dawn that waits for us beyond the darkest sky.  
Keep following that distant star.  
Never walk away from who you are.  
Never forget that your future's waiting up ahead.  
As seasons change and rearrange  
And the sands of time descend  
As all your hope starts vanishing you'll always have a friend  
In brightest day or darkest night  
Even if we have to say goodbye  
You'll be alright  
I will always and forever be by your side~.**_"

With that Brook slowly brought his song to a gentle close as He and Aika stood up and took a bow as the crew broke into an uproar of cheering.

"That was wonderful, you two!" Nami cheered, wiping her eyes.

"You've outdone yourself yet again, Aika!" Luffy whistled.

"You two make such a great pair." Robin clapped.

"Yohohohoho! You're too kind, really. It's all in a day's work." Brook tipped his hat before he patted Aika on the head. "And thank you too, Aika. You have such a beautiful voice that rivals my own. I bet you'll grow up to be a star like I was too."

"Stop~! You're making me blush~!" Aika squealed.

~~~~~~

Lastly, Aika saw herself peeking out of the kitchen as she saw Nami going towards her tangerine grove with her sheers, preparing to preen her trees. But when she got there she found that her trees already appeared to be preened as there were no branches sticking out of place and those that weren't seemed level.

"How strange. I could've sworn they needed a good snipping." Nami said scratching her head, when she heard someone clear their throat. She turned around to see Aika standing there with her hands behind her back, a sweet smile on her face.

"Hi, Nami." She said.

"Hello, Aika." Nami greeted back. "Do you know who preened my trees for me?"

"Maybe~." Aika grinned. Nami raised an eyebrow.

"What are you hiding~?" she smirked playfully earning a giggle from Aika. "You've got a secret, don't you?"

"Perhaps" Aika tittered. "Close your eyes."

"Alright." Nami smiled closing her eyes.

"Open them." Nami gasped when she opened her eyes to see Aika holding a plate with a cake on it, covered in tangerines and orange icing.

"Surprise!"

"Aika…" Nami gaped.

"I preened your trees for you but there were a few tangerines that fell off or got snipped, so I asked Sanji to help me make them into a cake for you." Aika explained.

"But why?"

"Why not? You're my beautiful big sister and I wanted to do something nice for you after all you've done for me." Nami gazed at her for a few moments before her lip trembled and she embraced Aika after setting the cake down.

"Aika this has to be the sweetest thing you've ever done for me~!" she cried. "I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful little sister and I love you so much!"

"You really mean it?" Aika asked.

"Of course I do! You're my precious little sister and you always will be, no matter what happens." Nami smiled kissing her tenderly on the cheek.

"Then you'll always be my big sister no matter what happens, and I'll always love you!" Aika beamed kissing Nami back as the two cherished the moment together, unaware of the crew watching them with proud faces.

_**~Memories Over~**_

Aika's eyes widened as the memories finished playing before her, suddenly realising that she'd been crying the whole time due to her fur feeling damp. All this time she thought she'd been nothing but a nuisance for the crew to protect but now her inner self had showed her that she'd in fact contributed to the crew all along in many little ways that as a whole gave her not only a place in the crew but a dream. To live her life with them; to make them happy; to help them in small but meaningful ways that would always make them smile. She brought a spark of joy to the crew that none of them could replicate and without her they would lose that spark, and their smiles.

"I have to go back." She thought. "I need them. And they need me too." She stood up before she made her way over to Silver Wind who was sleeping. "Um, Silver. Silver wake up." Aika called nudging her a little.

"Aika?"

"Silver. I need to talk to you. It's very important."

"What do you want to say, dear?" Silver asked.

"Silver. I'm very grateful for how kind and welcoming you've been to me since you found me."

"Well you're welcome, Aika. You're a good girl." Silver smiled.

"But…I can't stay." Aika said a little remorsefully. "I have to go back to my old pack."

"What? But why? I thought your old pack treated you badly and forced you to run away." Silver said confused.

"I'm sorry but you misunderstood me. When I said I left my pack, it wasn't because they abandoned me or treated me badly. I left them, because I didn't believe I deserved to be with them anymore. They were the most wonderful pack I'd ever had in my life."

"I don't understand. If they were so good to you then what made you doubt your place among them?"

"You've seen the way I am, Silver. I'm kind of clumsy. I'm terrible at hunting; I actually don't like it at all. I'm always running and hiding when danger shows up. And when I get in trouble I have to rely on the others to save me. But worst of all, I made my big sister really sad. I broke something very precious to her and when I tried to apologise I just made things worse. It's because of everything I've told you that I ran away. I thought they'd be better off without me being a burden to them. But I just had an epiphany. I remembered that even though I get in trouble sometimes, I bring happiness to my pack. I help them out in little ways, but I always put my heart into it; and that makes them smile. Without me, I'll just be making them, especially my big sis even sadder than I had before. And that's why I have to go back to them and tell them I'm sorry and that I want to stay with them for the rest of my life. They love me, and I just realised how much they do. I'm just sorry I can't stay here with you after you've been so kind to me. Even going so far as to be a surrogate mother to me after I lost my own years ago." Aika sniffed from the guilt of telling Silver the truth when she felt the Alpha lick her cheek lovingly as she looked to see her smiling at her.

"I understand, Aika. They must be very lucky to have someone like you in their family. You need to be where you belong and knowing you'd be there would make me just as happy as you staying." She comforted. Aika whined before she nuzzled Silver which she returned.

"Thank you so much, Silver." The wolf moved away from Aika as she got up.

"So where are they? I'll take you right to them." She said.

"Oh. Do you know where the human town is? If you could just take me there I'll be able to find my pack from there." Aika asked.

"Your pack lives near the humans? Isn't that dangerous?" Silver asked.

"It's ok. My big brother Luffy's always there to protect us. No one can beat him."

"Is that so? Then I look forward to meeting him." Silver smiled before she and Aika made their way out of the den and began to follow the river up into the forest, Hawk Talon watching them leave with a curious look in his eye.

XXX

About ten minutes after Aika and Silver had departed, an unexpected company happened to arrive at the edge of the den. It was none other than Nami, Luffy, Usopp, Blizzard and Kumi. As the group came to the entrance of the den, they hid behind some nearby rocks so they wouldn't be seen. And fortunately, they were downwind so the wolves wouldn't smell them.

"This is the place, Blizzard?" Luffy whispered. The wolf-dog nodded as he sniffed before he looked to the other end of the den.

"_She's not here._" He said.

"What do you mean she's not here?!" Luffy hissed.

"_I mean she's not here, genius!_" Blizzard hissed back. "_She just left with the wolf that found her in the forest. About ten minutes ago. I think she's trying to get back to the town; that route leads there._"

"_Then what are we waiting for? Let's go._" Kumi yipped but Blizzard held her back.

"_We can't just go charging in. There's wolves everywhere._"

"So what? We'll just explain what's going on and go right on through." Luffy shrugged.

"_I don't think their leader's gonna be very negotiable._" Blizzard nodded as the gang looked to the den's cave and (Usopp and Nami) squeaked when they saw a small mound of skulls beside where Hawk talon was sleeping.

"Wolves. I hate wolves." Usopp shuddered in fear. "No offense, Blizzard.

"_None taken. They do seem to be man-eaters after all. At least some of them._" Blizzard muttered.

"Ok. If they aren't gonna listen to reason, we do the next best thing: fight our way through." Luffy pounded his fist.

"No, Luffy." Nami spoke up.

"No?"

"We can't just go hurting them. Aika's with one of them and if they find out we beat up their pack they'll never let her go with us. The best thing to do is sneak through the den unseen and catch up with them."

"Then how do you propose we get passed those mutts?" Usopp inquired.

"Live bait." Nami answered a little sinisterly.

"Good idea." Usopp grinned before reality hit him. "Hey!"

"Look. It's my fault Aika ran away, so I have to get her back and show her she still has a place with us and that I still love her. I'll need Blizzard and Kumi to follow her scent but you and Luffy have to create a diversion so we can slip through." Nami reasoned.

"Oh what do you want me to do? Dress in drag and do the hula?" Usopp snorted, only to receive a grin from Nami. At that moment the wolves were suddenly woken up by the sound of someone banging on a hollow tree and looked in surprised confusion to see Luffy and Usopp standing in the clearing. The former curled up on his front with his shirt off and a leg of meat in his mouth like he was ready for roasting, and the latter garbed in a grass skirt, a pink hibiscus in his curly hair and a coconut bra before he burst into song.

"_**LUAU!  
If you're hungry for a hunk of fat, juicy meat;  
Eat my buddy Luffy here because he is a treat!  
Come on down and dine, on this rubber swine!  
All you have to do is get in line~!**_" The sniper dance around shaking his hips and waving his arms, whilst Luffy kept a mocking grin on his face as the wolves, including the pups began to advance towards the boys, their eyes and faces full of hunger. Hawk's however was more filled with rage.

"_**Aaaaaaaare ya chunky?!**_" Usopp sang, starting to get scared.

"_**Yup-Yup-Yup.**_" Luffy chanted.

"_**Foooooooooooor some monkey?!**_" Usopp asked.

"_**Yup-Yup-Yup.**_" Luffy chortled with a wink. As the pair continued their show, Blizzard quietly slipped through the den, passed the wolves, with Nami and Kumi on his back. All of them trying hard not to laugh their lungs out.

"_**Heeeeee's a big pig!**_"

"_**Yup-Yup.**_"

"_**You can be a big pig too. OY!**_" Usopp finished the song by thrusting his hips and after a sudden silence he and Luffy leapt to their feet and waving their arms like caffeine filled octopus ran like the wind.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!**" they screamed in terror, Luffy's not being legit.

"GET THEM!" Hawk roared as he and the pack chased after them. By this point Nami, Blizzard and Kumi had made it out of the den and could just make out their friends running for their lives.

"Would either of you hate me if I told you I filmed all of that?" Nami asked holding up a transponder snail.

"**_Not at all._**" Blizzard and Kumi snickered.

"Great. Let's go." The three then continued on into the forest after Aika and Silver.

XXX

Deep in the forest, Silver Wind was leading Aika towards the clearing which would lead them back to the town. They were currently following the river which had led them passed a large waterfall, through there were many large stepping stones and the river itself was quite shallow so the current wasn't strong enough to sweep one over the perilous edge.

"Ok, Aika, just about a mile left to the clearing. You'll be home soon." Silver said, though Aika picked up a sombre tone in her voice.

"Silver. I'm sorry I can't stay. I never meant to hurt you I-"

"No it's not your fault, Aika. You've had a rough one. It's just I thought you were what I needed to help him."

"Help him?"

"As you know, Hawk became so bitter and miserable after we lost our children, among the others in the pack who were killed. We all suffered the loss, but we were able to overcome it…except for him. I haven't seen him smile in over three years. I tried everything to make him happy and loving again but nothing worked. I hoped that starting a new family would be what he needed, but I could never get him to mate with me. I thought I'd lost him forever…until I met you." Aika gasped. "You were so lost and all alone and you needed a home. So I thought this would be my chance to turn him around if I got him to accept you…but I failed again. Oh listen to me now; you probably think I was just using you." Silver said tearfully.

"No, no that's not true!" Aika denied as she ran in front of her. "Until I realised what I had to do, I was happy with how you treated me. You genuinely loved and cared for me, even if our time together was short. And the fact you never gave up on Hawk was very noble of you. He must have been a wonderful man, I mean wolf, before it happened."

"Yes. He was. I still believe in him, but I can't think of what else to do. It's almost like…he doesn't love me anymore." Silver cried lying down as she did. Aika gasped at those words.

"NO! Don't you dare say that!" she barked angrily.

"Aika…"

"I let myself believe that lie and look where it got me. I ran away from my family because I thought my big sister didn't love me anymore when that clearly wasn't the case. You can't let thoughts like that cloud your mind or else you may end up making the same mistake. The pack loves you. Coal Claw loves you. Fir Bark, Dandelion, Silk and Bedrock love you. The whole pack loves you because you're their caring Alpha who loves them back. Don't tell me you'd leave all that behind because of some rotten thoughts!" Silver Wind looked at the wolf-girl before she stood up.

"You're right, Aika. I have a wonderful family. Even if my relationship with Claw is rocky, I still have so much to live for. And so does he, and that's why I won't give up on him until he realises that."

"Shishishishi. That's the spirit." Aika grinned. But just when the two of them were about to continue they heard a deep growl which brought them to a halt.

"What was that?" Aika whispered. Silver stood next to her protectively when they growling grew stronger. Then, out of the foliage two large shapes came crash towards them, fitted with large claws and teeth. They were revealed to be two large bears; a brown one with a single eye and a missing back leg and a black one with many scars.

"Aika, stay behind me." Silver murmured, not taking her eyes off the two beasts. "What do you want? This is our area of the forest. You're trespassing."  
"Oh we're quite aware of that." The brown bear said. "And we know who you are, Alpha Silver Wind. You and your mate, along with your pack wiped out many of our members in claiming your 'territory'. But your ranks have dropped over the years. Hawk talon has become weak in the heart form his loss and now your all alone with nothing but a stupid puppy. Once we kill you, Talon's spirit will break and your pack will fall into disarray; the perfect time for the bears to wipe them out for good."

"Is that so?" Silver growled. "Your fools to underestimate me and our pack. Now stand aside before I do some damage you won't walk away from. I don't' want to know what your other eye tastes like."

"Oooh I'm real scared~." The black bear feigned fear before the two bears dropped their mocking grins and charged at Silver, claws and teeth bared. As Aika ran for cover Silver pounced onto the brown bear and bit him on the ear, receiving a pain induced roar of anger as she tried to shake her, though she had to quickly leap away to avoid the black bear from swiping at her. She barked as she ran underneath their legs and bit the black one on the back of his right leg, but was soon struck in the side by the brown bear, leaving a gash on her as he did.

"SILVER!" Aika cried as the Alpha landed in the river, managing to pull herself up despite the pain in her side. She snarled and lunged at the bears again, biting them here and there but doing little damage as they began to push her back towards the waterfall by taking swipes at her as she dodged.

"She's losing the fight." Aika thought. "She needs help." The little girl looked at the two bears when she noticed the black one appeared to be limping from the bite in his back leg. Aika glared at the brute. She knew she couldn't' beat either of the animals, but as things were going now, they were going to push Silver over the edge of the waterfall to her death. Taking a deep breath, Aika charged at the black bear and with all her might, bit the wound on his leg, actually managing to crunch his ankle. The beast roared in agony as he turned around and knocked Aika away with his paw. The brown bear also stopped attacking Silver when he heard his comrade and as he did so, Silver lunged at him and bit him in his remaining eye, bursting it like a grape.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAWRR! YOU BITCH!" he screamed.

"Just so you know your eye tasted terrible." Silver spat.

"Don't think you've won. I can still smell you." But before the two could go at it again, a frightened yelp filled the air. Silver looked in horror to see the black bear pinning Aika to the ground with one of his great paws.

"Stay right where you are, bitch!" he growled. "Now, unless you want me to crush the runt's skull like an egg, stand down." Silver glared at the animal.

"Don't do it, Silver! It's my fault for trying to fight them!" Aika begged. Silver looked at her before she closed her eyes and bowed her head in submission causing Aika to gasp. And then, though blind, the brown bear grinned before he drew his paw back and struck her across the face sending her flying into a pile of rocks, one of them landing on her leg. Aika whimpered as she began to cry in fear.

"SILVEEEEEEER!" she howled.

XXX

"I'LL KILL YOU, NAMI!" Usopp squawked as he and Luffy were still being chased by the wolves.

"You want a bite o' this?!" Luffy jeered smacking and shaking his rear.

"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM! HE'S TOO CHEWY AND I'M ALL ELBOWS! ELBOWS AND GRISTLE!" Usopp screamed. Hawk Talon continued to lead his pack after the two pirates when all of a sudden a distant but clear howl of terror reached his ears causing him to stop in his tracks, the rest of the pack bumping into him and causing a pile up behind the alpha.

"HAHAHAHA! YOU SHOULDA SAID HALT, FLEABAG!" Usopp laughed how was now perched up in a tree with Luffy who was also grinning with amusement.

"Alpha why did you stop?" Coal Claw asked, but hawk didn't seem to hear him as he looked back the way they'd come when he heard the howl again.

"Aika." He thought. "Wasn't Silver taking her back to her home? But she sounds distressed so that can only mean…oh no." "Call off the chase!" he barked.

"What? But why?" a female wolf asked.

"Don't ask why! Just all of you go back to the den at once! That's an order!" Hawk demanded as he sped passed his followers and off in the direction towards the waterfall with lighting speed. "Hold on, Silver. I can't lose you too!" he thought desperately.

XXX

Back at the waterfall, Aika was whimpering in fear as the black bear held her down as the brown one began to approach Silver whose leg was trapped under the rock. She groaned as she looked at Aika, barely conscious.

"I'm so sorry, Aika. If I hadn't stopped to whine we may not have encountered these beasts."

"No. Let her go! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Aika screamed just as the bear raised its paw to strike Silver down, when an infuriated roar shook the forest as a flash of golden brown pounced on the bear and bit him in the back causing him to rear away from Silver. The attacker was none other than Hawk as he tore out a chunk of the brute's fur.

"Keep your disgusting claws off my wife!" he roared as the bear 'glared' at him.

"Hawk Talon." The black bear growled. "Well this gets better and better. You saved us the trouble of coming for you ourselves. Once we kill you, the wolves will be wiped out form this forest."

"You'll have to kill me first!"

"That's the idea!" the brown bear snarled as he charged at Hawk who charged right back. As the bear took a swipe at him, Hawk dodged the animal's attack before he head-butted the bear in his belly knocking him onto his back as Hawk landed on his stomach before he clamped his jaws around the beast's throat. The bear roared in panic as he began to swipe his claws at hawk to try and knock him off, leaving many scratches but Hawk remained unphased and with all his might, he tore the bear's throat out shocking both Aika and the black bear as the brown one lay dead, hawk panting heavily from both the effort and the new scars he'd received. The black bear stared at him before he growled in a fit of enraged hatred, taking his paw off Aika who ran for cover as the bear approached Hawk.

"HOW DARE YOU!" he roared as he struck hawk off his dead comrade.

"HAWK!" Aika cried as the Alpha male tumbled across the ground but got right back up.

"I can handle this, pup!" he barked as the black bear swiped at him again. He managed to dodge the attack but flinched as he landed due to his wounds.

"You're over the hill, old dog!" the bear sneered as he struck hawk again, causing him to spit blood and tumble towards the waterfall. Hawk hissed in pain as he began to feel himself slip over the edge, clinging onto a stepping stone as the bear approached him. "Look at the formidable alpha now, you tight old waste!" he spat as swatted one of Hawk's paws away from the rock.

"HAWK!" Silver and Aika cried.

"Sorry you have to learn it the hard way, Talon, but your time is up!" the black bear said as he pressed his paw down on the remaining one holding hawk up. "Oh and don't worry. I'll get rid of that pup quickly." He grinned. Hawk looked genuinely terrified now.

"No. it can't end this way." He thought as the bear raised his paw, when all of a sudden, **CRACK!** A large rock was smashed over his hairy head, causing him to draw back from Hawk.

"Don't you dare lay a claw on him, you big smelly bully!" Aika shouted. The bear snarled as he rubbed his head as he began to turn around to face her.

"I'll admit you have guts, but you're dumb if you think you have a chance against me you…pup?" he said, shocked as he saw her, as were Silver and hawk as they saw Aika. Standing before them, panting and glaring was a little human girl in a white vest and a pair of shorts.

"Ai…Aika?" silver whispered.

"Yes. It's me, Silver." Aika said in wolf.

"But…but how are you…?" Hawk tried to speak.

"I'm not a wolf. I'm a human who ate a wolf-wolf devil fruit. I just didn't change back so you'd let me stay." Aika explained. "But I can only fight properly in this body." She said. "So come on, you brute!" the bear glared at her before smirking.

"This is just pitiful. You actually think you can kill me. A mancub like you?" Aika just picked up another rock and threw it at the bear which hit him in the face. He roared before charging at her. As he did, Aika quickly climbed a tree causing him to ram his head into it, dazing him.

"You runt!" he snarled as Aika blew a raspberry at him when she noticed a bee hive hanging on the branch next to her. With a flick of her tail she dislodged the hive which feel towards the bear and shattered as it shattered upon hitting the ground. The beast was sent into a flurry go pained roars as the angry insects began to mercilessly sting him giving Aika the chance to climb down as she ran over to the edge of the waterfall, climbing onto a large rock near Hawk. She then reached out and managed to grab his paw and began to try and pull him up.

"Climb up! I can't pull you up by myself!" she strained.

"No. Save Silver. The pack needs her more than me."

"Oh just shut up you old grump!" Aika shouted. "You have no idea how long Silver has hung on for you. All she's ever wanted is for you to be happy again, but you're too weak to let go of the past! She actually started to question if you even love her anymore!"

"But…but that's not true." Hawk said.

"Well you should start showing it cause she loves you more than you know, even with how cold you've become. And you can start by hauling your big hairy butt up this cliff cause there's no way I can lift that rock off her leg!" Aika said as she continued to try and pull him up, this time Hawk began to claw at the rock with his back legs as he tried to climb up when he gasped in horror.

"AIKA LOOKOUT!" the girl turned to see the black bear behind her, horribly stung but very much alive, his maw foaming in rage.

"You rotten little bitch. I'll tear your flesh like tree bark!" he threatened menacingly, but as he raised his fierce paw once more he was suddenly struck by…a bolt of lightning.

"AIKAAAAAAAA!" a familiar voice shouted before the girl was suddenly swept of her feet by a flash of white and orange. The girl suddenly found herself in the arms of a beautiful orange haired woman, riding atop a magnificent white wolfdog, an Akita puppy in her lap. As they reached the bank, the first thing Aika felt was a pair of warm arms around her followed by the wet slobber of a dog licking her face.

"**AIKA!**" Nami, Kumi and Blizzard said in relief.

"BIG SIS NAMI! KUMI! BLIZZARD!" Aika cried as she hugged the navigator and puppy.

"Thank goodness you're safe! I thought that bear was going to kill you!" Nami sighed.

"The bear!" Aika realised as they looked to see the animal wasn't beat yet.

"Kumi. Stay here with her. Blizzard go help those wolves. I'll handle this one." Nami glared as Blizzard set them down. "Alright you rug, let's see how you like dealing with me." The bear snarled as eh charge at Nami who sighed as she drew her fist back, which turned black with haki before KAPOW! She struck the brute hard in the face, shattering half his fangs and sending him flying across the river and through four trees. All jaws hit the floor Nami blew on her fist in victory, the bear utterly defeated.

"She's so powerful." Hawk murmured as Blizzard pulled him up.

"_That's Nami for ya._" He grinned before hawk limped over to Silver.

"Silver! Silver are you alright?!"

"I'm okay. Just sore." Silver chuckled.

"Is your leg broken?!"

"No, it's just trapped."

"_Stand back._" Blizzard said before he smashed his head against the rock which, after a few seconds, crumbled. As the alpha got to her feet hawk licked her face joyfully.

"I'm so glad you're alive. I thought I'd lost you." He whispered as Silver nuzzled him back. Nami, Blizzard and Kumi smiled at the couple before they turned to Aika with frowns. The little girl held her hands up in defence.

"Before you say anything let's at least get back to the den first." She said.

XXX

Back at the den, Aika found herself being simultaneously hugged by Luffy and Usopp. The wolves were all still getting over the shock of Aika's human revelation.

"Aika what were you thinking?!" Usopp said as he let go of her. "You were never a burden to the crew. Remember what I told you about what I did in Water Seven?"

"I know, Usopp and you were right. I just wished I'd realised it sooner. I thought being so small and helpless would just hold you all back and get you in rouble or even killed trying to protect me." Nami sighed before she hugged Aika tightly.

"Aika. We've all felt that way at some point. I used to be a big scaredy cat as well. At least Usopp had a weapon but all I ever did was run and hide. But I knew that even though I wasn't strong like Luffy, Zoro or Sanji, I was strong in other ways. I held the crew together in ways Zoro couldn't. I guided us through savage seas and I kept our money in check so we'd always have enough for supplies. The same thing happened with Usopp. It was only when he realised he contributed in ways the others couldn't' that he knew how much we loved him and needed him in our crew."

"Yeah. And the same goes for you too!" Usopp grinned as he gave Aika a light noogie. "A pervy but wise cook once told me something: 'I'll do what you can't do. You do what I can't do.'" Aika's eyes widened at that. "So what can you do that we can't, Aika?" the little girl thought for a moment when she smiled.

"I bring a spark of joy to the crew; one that keeps you all smiling. I do little things here and there for you all, and even though they're small, they come from the heart and make you all happy. My place in the crew is to help keep you all happy and to live my life with you: my family, who I love with all my heart and soul." The Straw Hats looked at her before they enveloped her in a group hug.

"And we love you too. Our precious little sister." Nami cried as she kissed her lovingly, as did Luffy, Usopp, Blizzard and Kumi.

"You ready to go home now? Everyone's waiting."

"Just a minute." Aika said as she approached Silver Wind and Hawk Talon.

"I…I'm sorry I lied to you. I-I didn't-"

"No, Aika, I'm sorry." Hawk said. "And to you as well, Silver, and my pack. I was such a fool. And not just when you came along, but ever since I lost my children and people. All this time I thought I'd lost my only joy, but my loss clouded my eyes from the happiness right in front of me all along. You, my beloved wife. You believed in me and fought so hard to bring back my smile but I was to bitter to notice or care. Please forgive me." He bowed in shame when he felt Silver lift up his head before she kissed him deeply.

"It's alright, my love. Just give what I've waited for." Hawk looked deep into her eyes before he smiled, for the first time in years. This brought tears to Silver's eyes as she 'hugged' him.

"It's just as beautiful as I remember!" she cried. The other wolves cheered at the 'return' of their Alpha as the pair turned to face Aika.

"Aika. I can't thank you enough. If you hadn't come along, I may never have been able to get hawk back to his old self." Silver beamed.

"I agree. If not for you I may have been stuck a cantankerous old grump forever. I just had to stop thinking about what I'd lost and realise what I still had." Hawk grinned. Luffy's eyes widened as he heard this.

"Oh it was nothing really." Aika blushed before the wolves double licked her on her cheeks.

"Even if your time with us was short, you'll always be part of our family." Hawk smiled.

"And we'll always love you." Silver smiled tearing up a little as Aika hugged them lovingly before she ran to Luffy and Nami as they began to depart with the others, hands entwined with hers.

"Goodbye~! I'll see you soon~!" she called as the wolves howled in farewell.

"**Come back soon~!**" Fir Bark, Silk, Dandelion and Bedrock called back.

"We'll all be here for you~!" Coal Claw shouted.

"You know something, Blizzard." Luffy said. "I think I would've ended up like Hawk if I'd never gotten overcame losing Ace."

"_I was thinking the same thing, Luffy._" Blizzard replied.

XXX

After they arrived back at the ship, Aika began to feel like a parcel as she was passed form Straw hat to Straw hat to be hugged, or kissed, or both. Some like Zoro scolded her for making such a big mistake on both the crew and herself, while others like Robin praised her for figuring it out and realising her purpose. And after she'd had her fill of love, Aika made a proposal to the crew. Now that she knew her role in the crew was to help them with rinky-dink jobs and put a smile on their faces, she decided that she should become the Cabin Girl of the Straw hat pirates which they proudly accepted.

"Boy am I glad that's over! I was scared we'd never see you again!" Franky bawled still wiping his eyes form when Aika got back.

"My music would be soulless without your angelic voice!" Brook said.

"And who's gonna make my training fun huh?" Zoro grinned ruffling her hair.

"And I couldn't lose my apprentice in the making." Chopper grinned who was currently being cuddled by the girl.

"I don't think I'd ever be happy if we lost one of our lovely ladies." Sanji chuckled.

"She's six, man. You're sick." Zoro grimaced.

'SHUT UP! You're the one that's sick for thinking of accusations like that!" Sanji barked as the two began to fight, making Aika laugh.

"We're just happy to have our little Cabin Girl back." Robin smiled.

"I'll say. I'm the one who'd never be happy again if I lost my only little sister." Luffy grinned hugging her tight.

"Mine as well." Nami added as she joined in the hug, followed by the rest of the crew. 'Oh I just remembered!' she said before pulling out a transponder snail from her bra. The mollusc appeared to have a rather big blushing grin for 'some reason'.

"What's with the snail, Nami?" Sanji asked.

"Oh I just wanted to show you all something. I filmed a little movie while we were out."

"Ooh! Was it you fighting that bear you told us about?" Luffy asked excited.

"Nope. It's a musical comedy." Nami grinned as she set the snail down and pressed the top of its shell causing its eyes to flicker on like a projector as an image appeared don't he back wall of the deck. All but Nami, Blizzard and Kumi gasped, but Luffy and Usopp chocked on their drink at what they saw.

**LUAU!  
If you're hungry for a hunk of fat, juicy meat;  
Eat my buddy Luffy here because he is a treat!  
Come on down and dine, on this rubber swine!  
All you have to do is get in line~!  
Aaaaaaaare ya chunky?!  
Yup-Yup-Yup.  
Foooooooooooor some monkey?!  
Yup-Yup-Yup.  
Heeeeee's a big pig!  
Yup-Yup.  
You can be a big pig too. OY!  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!**

The captain and sniper gaped with red faces of embarrassment as the video of Usopp dancing in drag and Luffy prepared like a roast pig played before the crew who were now rolling on the floor laughing. Zoro didn't seem to care as he spilled his drink and Sanji actually swallowed his cigarette while Robin was actually clutching her chest from laughing so hard, as Chopper rolled around like a hamster ball as he cried his hearth out in tears of laughter. Franky was surprisingly crying cola while brook was laughing so hard his soul came wisping out of his mouth; he was dying laughing. And of course Blizzard, Aika and Kumi were all in a big dog pile of giggles and fits. Usopp and Luffy growled before they turned to face the navigator.

"**Namiiiiiiii!**" they fumed.

"And you said I had no sense of humour, Usopp." Nami grinned.

"WHY YOU LITTLE!" the sniper roared as he and Luffy began to chase after her, the former swinging his kabuto at her like a club. "I'm gonna egg you so hard your granchildren'll stink!"

"Not until I give her the spanking of a lifetime!" Luffy roared.

"I though you wanted to punish me, Lulu." Nami winked at him as the crew continued to laugh at the pair both on screen and on deck. Aika momentarily stopped giggling to look at the crew before she smiled and turned her head up at the stars.

"I'm home, Mum. I'm finally home."

The End


	24. Davy Backy Races

**One Piece belongs To Oda**

**Blizzard, Aika and Kumi belong to XfangheartX**

* * *

**I'm so sorry this took so long guys. A mixture of writers block, procrastination, university deadlines and personal stuff slowed my work to a crawl but now that the holidays are here I can finally get back into the swing of things. thank you so much for your patience and I promise I'll try harder to get my stories out quicker.**

**Davey Backy Races**

* * *

Another day passes in the New World. The Thousand Sunny carried her crew gently across the sea to her next port. Luffy and Aika were currently sitting on the head of the ship. The latter enjoyed the calming view as she sat in the former's lap who was currently snoring due to being in the middle of a nap. Aika giggled at his snoozing expression before turning her view back to the ocean, but as she stared at the vast sea, something began to creep over the horizon. The little girl put her hand over her forehead as she focused on what she was seeing before she called up tot he crow's nest.

"Hey~! I think I see an island~!"

"I'm on it, Aika~!" Usopp's voice called back form inside the nest before after a few seconds he said back to everyone "She's right! Island dead ahead~!" The rest of the crew gathered outside to see the island fast approaching.

"Alright, everyone, you know the drill." Nami spoke up. "Once we anchor several of us will go for supplies while the rest guard the ship. And of course I'll be going with Luffy so I can measure the island and he can go exploring. Alright?"

"**Right!**" the crew replied as they prepared to land, but as Usopp was descending from the crow's nest he spotted something from the corner of his eye and upon checking his goggles he saw a ship off int he distance. Though it appeared only as silhouette it was large in scale and seemed to have a large figurehead in the shape of some sort of animal.

"_Hmmm. That ship looks vaguely familiar._" he thought "_Well as long it doesn't attack us, we should be fine._" he concluded before going down to join the others just as they reached the shore. But little did he know that on that distant ship, the crew on board it were watching them. One of the members picked up a transponder snail before he spoke into it.

"The birds have reached the nest"

"**What?**" the voice on the other end asked.

"The lamb has entered the wolves den."

"**What the hell are you talking about?**" the voice asked sounding a bit peeved.

"The cookies are in the oven."

"**Talk sense, you idiot!**"

"Gimme that!" another pirate said snatching the snail away. "Sorry about that. What the moron was trying to tell you is that the Straw Hats have reached the island. We're ready to move in."

"**Ah yes, I see them now. Very good. Standby to engage.**"

"Yes, Boss." the crew replied.

XXX

"_Hey, Aika, why's your mouth watering?_" Kumi asked. The cabin girl blinked, puzzled before she noticed and wiped her mouth hurriedly.

"Sorry, Kumi. Someone must be talking about cookies." she blushed as the pup shook her head smiling. As Luffy, Nami, Aika, Kumi, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper and Blizzard left the ship, the others remained behind to guard it.

"Well from what I can tell so far, there doesn't seem to be any town or village." Nami began as she viewed the island. "Though it is well equipped. Plenty of lush jungles so there'll be plenty of food and water and those mountains in the distance look pretty strong. This is gonna be a nice addition to my map."

"You're certainly enthusiastic about this one, Nami." Luffy smiled. But meanwhile, back on the Sunny, the remainder of the crew were in for a rather unpleasant surprise.

"I have to say, this island looks particularly relaxing." Robin complimented the view she had form her garden.

"You said it. Plenty of wide open spaces. Aika's been wanting to go for a ride on the Black Rhino again for a while." Franky said.

"Nice and quiet too. Just the environment I need to work on my music." Brook sighed as he viewed the island. But then, a loud whistling noise reached the ears of the crew, as though something were falling towards them until...**WHAM! **A pair of gigantic paws landed on either side of the Sunny and attached to the end of each paw was a gigantic chain, trapping the ship in between them.

"What the hell?!" Zoro awoke with a start form his nap.

"It seems some familiar visitors have come calling." Robin muttered as the crew looked towards their trapper: a gigantic ship that was double the height and triple the length of the Sunny.

"Good grief. Not these crackpots again." Zoro groaned upon seeing the unmistakable Jolly Roger.

"You know these guys?" Franky questioned.

"Actually, you and Brook have met their elite three. It was back when we visited that spa resort." said Robin.

"Oh no. You don't mean..."

XXX

**VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRMMMM!**

Back with Luffy's group they're pleasant walk was interrupted by the growing revving of an engine and as they looked, they could see a dust cloud fast approaching.

"Looks like we got company." Sanji said.

"Do you think it's a stampede?" Aika asked.

"Stampedes don't rev, Aika." Usopp replied.

"Be ready to fight, guys. It could be bounty hunters." Luffy cautioned as the group took their positions. Usopp's, Aika's, Copper's and Kumi's being hiding behind each other from tallest to smallest. But as the dust cloud grew closer it came to a screeching halt revealing a vehicle as the cloud settled. It appeared to be a large kart-like contraption with the body of the vehicle shaped like a large grinning fox head with a pair of paws on either side which grasped the front wheels while a big tail protruded from the rear in between two pairs of twisted, upward facing exhaust pipes.

"A...go-kart?" said Nami.

"What kind of bounty hunters would drive something like that?" Sanji asked.

"I dunno, but I want one." Luffy grinned.

"**Feh-feh-feh-feh-feh! Sorry to disappoint, Straw hat but the Velocious Vixen isn't for sale.**" said a voice from inside the kart. The crew, excluding Aika and Kumi suddenly cringed upon hearing it.

"Oh no..." Sanji moaned.

"Not again..." Usopp gritted.

"I don't think I can handle it again." Nami whimpered.

"I know that laugh." Luffy frowned before the fox head opened its mouth.

"**Foxy...**" the crew groaned in chorus (except Aika and Kumi). There, sitting behind the wheel of the kart was none other than the grinning Captain of the Foxy Pirates: Silver Fox Foxy. And seconds later the ears of the fox head opened to reveal his right and left hand crew members: Hamburg and Porche and upon seeing the latter, Chopper squeaked and hid behind Blizzard.

"Long time no see, guys. Has it been two years already?" she grinned.

"Yeah and it wasn't long enough." Nami said back.

"So what the hell do you clowns want?" Sanji asked.

"Oh I think it should be quite obvious, Black Leg." Foxy replied. "To challenge you."

"Yeah well forget it!" Luffy spat. "I'm not risking my crew in one of your David Smack Battles or whatever."

"Davey Back Fight." Foxy corrected.

"Usopp, what's a Davey Back Fight?" Aika asked.

"It's a type of contest among pirates where crew members are used as prizes. Which ever team wins a game takes one of the opposing crews members for their own." Aika gasped before she hugged Luffy's leg.

"Don't let them take me, Big Brother!"

"**BROTHER?!**" the Foxy trio blurted in shock.

"Yeah, long story. And no I'm not playing anymore of your games." Luffy refused.

"Who said we were here for that?" Foxy asked. "I'm not here to take your crew."

"Oh, Boss can't we at least try and win Choppy back again~!" Porche begged only for Blizzard to snarl at her in response.

"Sorry but no. You have something of mine and I want it back. But I'm above petty theft so I'll only do it my way: by winning it."

"And what do you want back that we have?" Nami asked the Captain.

"Isn't it obvious? My old flag!" Foxy replied. "Ever since you branded us with that disgusting excuse for a flag, my crew and I have been a laughing stock. And when I heard about which island you'd recently been on, I went straight to the next one hoping to head you off so I could face you today. I intend to win my flag back and my pride along with it. And don't think you can just sail away as my crew will have restrained your ship by now."

"Pfft!" Usopp blew his cheeks out. "You think those paper chains can hold Sunny? Zoro'll cut through them using his feet. We don't have to take part in your stupid games and for all we care you can stay a laughing stock for the dirty cheating split head that you are." no sooner had he said this Foxy crumpled into a heap of depression from the insult resulting in Porche attempting to comfort him while Hamburg laughed at his misfortune.

"Again with the split head~." he groaned.

"Oh deal with it ya big baby!" Sanji snapped. "Jeez if an insult gets him like this god help him if he ever meets Perona."

"Besides, what's the point in playing against you lot when there's nothing in it for us?" Nami questioned snapping Foxy out of his slump.

"Oh but there is, Cat Burglar. I knew you wouldn't let your Captain agree to this without some benefit on your end of the challenge." Porche said. "Which is why we brought this with us. Hamburg, would you please?" the gorilla shaped man nodded before climbing out of the kart and opening the trunk before he lifted out something that caused the crew's jaws to drop, Nami's especially. A gigantic star cut ruby half the size he was which sparkled in the sunlight. As he put it down and wiped his brow it sunk about a foot into the ground implying it was indeed a heavy gem.

"This will be your prize if you beat my challenge. Quite scrumptious isn't she? It took us three days to prepare her. And if I win I get my flag back. What do you say? You got nothing to lose this time. What good would you even have for a flag you aren't gonna fly?"

"Well it has been quite the dish rag for me over the years." Sanji commented.

"Not to mention wiping grease and oil off me and Franky's inventions." Usopp added.

"Plus it's useful to hold against the fireplace when the flame's going down." said Nami.

"And of course Blizzard and Kumi always need somewhere to go to the bathroom when it's raining and we have no newspaper." Luffy mentioned. Naturally the mention of every ghastly mistreating method of his flag sent the old fox right back to the ground to wallow.

"I don't like this, nami." said Luffy. "Knowing him it's gotta be some kind of trick."

"That may be. But like he said, the crew aren't at risk this time and that gem certainly looks promising." Nami's eyes glittered as she eyed the ruby.

"Guys?" Luffy asked.

"Ah what the hell? I got nothing better to do." Usopp shrugged.

"Same here." Sanji added.

"Just so long as she doesn't squeeze me to death with her hugs." Chopper muttered.

"It could be fun if it means playing games." Aika smiled. Luffy nodded before turning back to Foxy.

"Alright then, Split Head. We'll take the challenge. That gem against your old flag." Foxy leapt to his feet and grinned.

"Feh-feh-feh! Excellent. Now, first of all. If you don't mind, I'll tell you the rules."

"Rules indeed." Usopp snorted as he looked at Aika. "Why he only wants rules so he break 'em!"

"And you'll be first I take care of, Pinocchio." Foxy replied much.

"Why you!"

"To begin, this is not the kind of Davey Back Fight you're thinking of. This is something else entirely."

"And what is that?" Luffy asked.

"The answer's right in front of you, Straw Hat. We challenge you to a kart race."

"A kart race?"

"That's right. My crew has observed and explored every inch of this island and due to it's varied environments it provides quite the unique terrain for such an event."

"Well a race certainly sounds easier than playing a ball game with live people." said Sanji.

"Now then. Here are the basics of the challenge." Foxy continued as the crew listened intently.

XXX

"So let me get this straight: Foxy challenged us to a kart race to win his flag back and if we win we get a giant ruby." Zoro said.

"Yeah that's about it. Since none of us are at risk of being taken this time we decided to accept, and even if we lose we'd just be chucking an old flag." said Luffy.

"_Man if we lose I'm sure gonna miss that flag. It's so much better for pissing on than newspaper._" Blizzard sighed.

"Foxy said that the challenge will be one giant three lap mad dash around the island using markers. Our crew will be split into teams of two; one drives while the other defends the kart from opponents. The only condition is that we build our own vehicles." Nami explained. "We've been given four days to construct them"

"OW! I'll do it in two, Sis! You just leave it to me!" Franky grinned.

"So then what about teams? Who's gonna ride with who?" Brook asked.

"Blizzard's with me!" Luffy said with his arm around his faithful dog. "Of course I'm the only one with opposable thumbs so I'm at the wheel."

"Well there's no way you're winning if that's the case." Franky muttered.

"HEY!"

"I'm riding with Big Sis Nami." Aika beamed hugging the navigator's leg who smiled and petted her in return. "I'm driving."

"Oh no you don't Missy." Nami denied with a smirk.

"Why not~? I drove the Black Rhino just fine."

"Yes and it was a mistake on Franky's part. I'll let you sit up top. I need someone to watch my back don't I?"

"Ok." Aika mumbled.

"I'd be more than happy to partner with you." Robin said to Zoro. "Of course I'll be driving for..obvious reasons."

"And what exactly are they, woman?" Zoro asked not missing the teasing smile she'd sent him.

"Ones that imply you'd drive off a cliff within the first five minutes." answered Sanji.

"You calling me uncoordinated?!" Zoro barked only for the others to laugh in response. "_Damn, walked right into that one._" he gritted.

"Well I'm teaming up with Franky." Usopp said. "With my sniping skills and him at the wheel, nothing'll stop us!"

"Sounds good to me." replied the cyborg. It was then that Kumi started yapping eagerly.

"She said she would like to participate too." Chopper translated.

"But who could she ride with?" Aika asked.

"_I can ride with Chopper. Aside from you and Luffy, he's the only one who can understand me._" Kumi said.

"Ok. Then I'll drive." Chopper smiled.

"_Thanks, Chopper._"

"Well in that case that leaves me and Brook." Sanji said.

"Yohoho. I'm fine with that. Though I would recommend you drive since you have the strongest legs." Brook suggested.

"What does that have to do with driving?"

"Well when you step on the peddle hard enough the vehicle will leave behind a speeding trail of fire."

"You just made that up! You're just too lazy to drive!" Usopp debunked the claim.

"Then we have our teams. That just leaves the Karts." Nami said.

"Oh-oh-oh! can we design our own karts, Franky?!" Luffy asked.

"Yeah!" Aika agreed with a cheer.

"You got it! Come up with a few sketches and I'll make something super out of 'em!" Franky grinned.

"I've already got mine!" Luffy said holding up a piece of paper, only for Blizzard to snatch it out of his hand and rip it up. "HEY!"

"_There is no way I'm gonna ride with you in a giant piece of meat on wheels!_" the wolfdog snapped.

"Well then I'm not riding with you in a giant peanut on wheels!" Luffy snapped back.

"_You bastard! I've always wanted to ride in a giant peanut!_"

"Ok that's enough of that! I'm sure I can come up with something the two of you will like. Everyone else, if you're interested give me your ideas and I'll get to work." said Franky.

"**RIGHT!**" the others replied.

XXX

Franky and Usopp were now situated below deck in the workshop and factory surrounded by scrap and scattered blueprints.

"Alright partner, let's check the list." Franky said. "Building materials?"

"Check!" Usopp replied with a thumbs up.

"Blueprints?"

"Check!"

"Exhilarating Montage music?" Franky then pressed the star logo on his right arm causing the panel to flip over revealing a stereo which he proceeded to activate with the touch of a button.

(A.N.- Immortals by Fall Out Boy from Big Hero 6)

"**Check!**" they both answered hi-fiving.

"Let's build some karts!"

XXX

**They say we are what we are**  
**But we don't have to be.**

Franky is crouched in front of a metal frame of one of the karts welding the pieces together before he lifts the guard mask from his face and smiles satisfied at the progress. **  
**Usopp is seen sketching a side view of his and Franky's Kart which after showing it to the cyborg receives a thumbs up and grin which he returns.  
**  
I'm bad behavior but I do it in the best way.**

Nami is then seen showing Franky her waver and pointing to the wheels and jet dial engine and then to the current blueprint of her and Aika's kart. Franky rubs his chin before he makes a few adjustments to the drawing and presents it, earning an approving nod from the navigator.

**I'll be the watcher (watcher) of the eternal flame.  
I'll be the guard dog of all your fever dreams.**

Usopp is in the process of adding the plating to one of the karts and reaches behind for his hammer but can't seem to find it until he looks to see Aika holding it out to him. He smiles and pets her on the head as he takes the toll and starts hammering rivets.

**Oooooooh  
I am the sand in the bottom half of the hourglass (glass, glass)**

Franky is then conversing with Sanji in front of a drawing of the kart pedals with a burning foot pressing on them. Sanji nods in understanding as he activates his diable jambe and Franky nods.  
**  
Oooooooh,  
I try to picture me without you but I can't**

Luffy taps Usopp on the shoulder and shows him another blueprint of a giant piece of meet with wheels and steering wheel. Usopp gives him an exasperated face before Blizzard snatches the blueprint and shreds it much to Luffy's chagrin as Usopp sighs at their bickering.

**'Cause we could be immortals, immortals  
Just not for long, for long.**

Chopper and Kumi shows the shipwright and sniper pictures of cotton candy and melon pocky. Usopp scratches his head before he snaps his fingers and scribbles out a draft of a kart which causes Chopper and Kumi to grin with excitement as they cheer in approval as Usopp smiles back.

**And live with me forever now,  
You pull the blackout curtains down  
Just not for long, for long.**

Zoro and Robin are looking at the blueprint for their vehicle. the latter taps her chin in thought before she crosses her arms and nearby crate grows four legs and walks around the room for a few moments. She then explains the image to Franky who grins widely and shakes her hand.

**We could be immooooooo- immortals,  
Immooooooo- immortals,**

Usopp approaches Franky, carrying a giant amplifier in his arms with Brook following behind. The skeleton then connects his guitar to it and aims the amplifier at a stack of crates and after strumming a note sends a blast of sound at the crates obliterating them. Franky strikes his 'super' pose of approval while Brook laughs.  
**  
Immooooooo- immortals,  
Immooooooo- immortals.**

The pair are then seen taking a break, each of them have a large bottle of cola which they clink together before uncapping and drinking them.

**Sometimes the only pay-off for having any faith  
Is when it's tested again and again everyday.**

Luffy is now sitting in a prototype of his and Blizzard's kart while Franky stands beside the former, imitating how to steer and accelerate as Blizzard and Aika are onlookers, the latter waving pom poms as she cheers her Big Brother on. Luffy nods before he turns on the kart but no sooner as he does it speeds off uncontrollably and Franky and Aika cover their eyes in pain as a crash is shown off-screen and the former sighs in frustration at his Captain while a tire bounces passed him, which Blizzard chases after barking playfully.  
**  
I'm still comparing your past to my future.  
It might be your wound but they're my sutures.**

Usopp is showing Nami and Aika the front of their kart which looks like some form of animal as he presses a button causing it's mouth to open and shut. He then goes round to the front and sticks his head in the mouth like lion tamer causing Aika to laugh but the mouth soon clamps shut on his head and he starts failing in an attempt to free himself which only makes the girls laugh harder.

**Oooooooh  
I am the sand in the bottom half of the hourglass (glass, glass)**

Franky is seen with Luffy again as he tries to teach him to drive some more while Blizzard and Aika watch. This time Luffy manages to avoid crashing instantly but as he tries to drift, the kart flips over sideways and rolls onto it's back. A few seconds pass before Luffy sticks his arm out from under the vehicle with his thumb up implying he's okay which only causes Franky to face-palm and Blizzard to flop down in embarrassment while Aika tries to pull Luffy out only for his arm to stretch helplessly.

**Oooooooh,  
I try to picture me without you but I can't**

Usopp is seen attaching a set of long exhaust pipes to the body of Chopper and Kumi's kart who are currently watching him work. He then pours some cola into the fuel tank and starts the ignition causing the engine to rev fiercely as he grins proudly before the kart starts to sputter and jolt and before eh can react the engine explodes in a shower of cola, knocking Usopp tot he ground. He sits up and sighs in disappointment before Kumi starts licking the cola off his face.

**'Cause we could be immortals, immortals  
Just not for long, for long.**

Franky and Usopp are now with Sanji and Brook. Sanji is sitting in the driver's seat of the kart while Brook is standing behind with his guitar and amplifiers. Franky signals Sanji who activates his diable jambe and steps on the pedal resulting in the exhaust pipes to spit jets of fire while Brook starts playing his guitar and Franky and Usopp smile at the development.

**And live with me forever now,  
You pull the blackout curtains down  
Just not for long, for long.**

Robin is driving her and Zoro's kart while the latter stands atop it with his swords out. As they drive, he cuts down a number of targets before he quickly turns around to slice a large cannon ball coming form behind and lastly he deflects one of Franky's lasers with the face of his sword causing it to bounce away from the test site, across the island, and blow up one of Foxy's karts on the other side much tot he opposing crew shock.

**We could be immooooooo- immortals,  
Immooooooo- immortals,**

Franky is now driving his Kart with Usopp sitting in a cockpit of sorts armed with his slingshot as he shoots passing targets while the cyborg weaves in and out of any obstacle in his path grinning ecstatically before he presses a button causing the kart to open its hood and launch a barrage of missiles blowing up a large rock formation with ease.

**Immortals,  
And live with me forever now,  
Pull the blackout curtains down,**

Usopp is holding a large heated metal stamp shaped somewhat like the crew's flag only with a more fiery appearance. he then presses it against the faces of each kart branding them with matching emblems.

**We could be immortals, immortals  
Just not for long, for long.**

Franky is kneeling before Luffy and Blizzard's kart, adding the finishing paint job. He sprays the aerosol over the vehicle as the 'camera' is covered by a shower of red and yellow paint.

**We could be immooooooo- immortals,  
Immooooooo- immortals,**

Franky is seen with Luffy once more looking rather unenthusiastic as he's not even looking at his Captain and Blizzard is sleeping but after Luffy takes off Franky looks up when he sees him grinning and drifting the kart successfully. He taps Blizzard awake who looks to see his Master successfully driving. The Captain brings the kart to a stop and leaps out cheering as he runs over to Franky who's holding out his fist which he then pounds against his own while Blizzard howls in victory and Aika gives Luffy a congratulatory hug.

**Immooooooo- immortals,  
Immooooooo- immortals,**

Six vehicles stand before the crew covered by tarps as the crew stand before them, Luffy, Chopper and Aika shuffling and giggling with excitement. Franky and Usopp then stand before the group and proceed to whip the tarps off the karts revealing them tot he crew who gasp in astonishment before they all let out a cheer of impressed amazement while their mechanics laugh with pride.

**(Immortals)  
**  
They were ready.

**XXX**

The sun crept over the horizon the next morning after the crew had congratulated and thanked Franky and Usopp on a job well done on the karts. The crew woke bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (in Blizzard, Aika and Kumi's case. And maybe Chopper) before settling down to a rather energizing breakfast Sanji had prepared which consisted of his 'Thousand' Sunny-side up eggs, cinnamon waffles with bananas and blueberries (just bananas for Luffy due to his allergy) and fruit smoothies. After eating the crew headed below deck to the new improved soldier dock system which had been given new channels to hold the karts, as Franky released them one by one out and onto the island until, as the crew stood before their vehicles, Luffy pulled out a flare gun and aimed it skyward.

**BANG! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~! BOOM!** A glowing green flare lit up the sky signalling their opponents and after waiting for about ten minutes one of the Foxy pirates arrived waving to them.

"The starting line is just beyond that hill. If you'll make your way there the Boss will allow you to prepare for the race." he said.

"But we are prepared."said Luffy.

"Not quite. You'll see when you get there." The crew decided not to dwell on it as they got in their karts and headed for the rendezvous point.

XXX

Upon arriving the crew found Foxy waiting for them, standing before an enormous starting line where twelve white squares had been painted on the dirt road.

"Welcome, Straw Hats. I must say those karts are quite impressive, but we shall see if they drive as good as they look." he grinned.

"Oh just you watch. You'll have a clear view from behind us when we beat you!" Luffy said.

"Feh-feh-feh! Oh I'll be watching alright. But first, there's the matter of your attire."

"Attire?" Nami asked.

"Why yes. Each team will choose a suitable outfit to go with their vehicle. It makes the event more colourful. Once you have your costumes, you'll drive your karts to the starting line."

"You mean like when I got to dress up for the boxing match?" Luffy asked.

"Exactly right."

"Forget it, Luffy, you are not wearing that ridiculous afro again." Nami denied to her now sulking fiance.

"Nami with all due respect please, let's not disrespect the afro." Sanji insisted.

"Big brother wore an afro?" asked Aika.

"Well if we're gonna race, might as well do it in style." said Franky.

"Then walk this way." Foxy led them to a large dressing room his crew had set up for the event. "You can choose anything you like from our selection. And don't worry, we have some that'll fit the little lady as well." he added with a glance to Aika. "And with that, I'll be waiting for you...at the finish line." he concluded with a grin before taking his leave.

"Cocky snob." Usopp snorted. "But at least he has a wide wardrobe. So, let's get browsing." the crew brushed through the various costumes and accessories that would fit their respective karts. Aika picked out a driving helmet which she showed to Nami who beamed at it before grabbing a similar one but for her own size. Sanji was trying on different kinds of sunglasses while Brook was looking at head-wear.

"Here Usopp, how does this look on me?" Franky turned around to face the sniper causing him to gasp in surprise at first before he grinned.

"That looks so badass, Franky! It's perfect for our kart! I'll see if there's anything similar I can wear." Luffy meanwhile was rummaging through cost7ume after costume until something caught his eye. Luffy picked it up before he gasped in awe.

"This...is it..." he whispered before he put the costume on and turned to his crew. "How do I look guys?!" the Straw hats turned to face Luffy before they either laughed, groaned or gaped.

"You look so funny, Big brother!" Aika giggled as Luffy pulled a face at her, egging her laughter further.

"Actually, I take it back. Wear the afro." Nami said.

"Too late! This is the price you pay for denying the afro power!" Luffy smirked.

"What have I done?"

"_There is no way I'm wearing anything in that colour, Luffy!_" Blizzard snapped.

"Oh don't worry, I already have your costume." Luffy grinned before he held it up to the wolfdog.

"_Well at least it's not as embarrassing as yours is._" he commented.

"Hey, Zoro. Which do you think suits me better?" Robin asked holding up two different outfits, both of which caused Zoro to blush slightly at the thought of her wearing them.

"I'd choose the one on the right, though either of them would look great on you."

"I'll say!" Sanji fawned over the sight of Robin in her chosen outfit.

"You wanna lose an eye too, dartboard?!" while the two started fighting Nami and Aika were adding the finishing touches to their costumes before the former tapped Luffy on the shoulder.

"Oh Luffy~?" the Captain turned around as he looked at her his hat flew off his head in a puff of steam at the sight on his lover in her chosen attire. "Like what you see~?"

"Humina-humina-humina-humina-humina..." Luffy murmured with a red face, unable to process any other word as he gawked at her, his nose bleeding slightly. She giggled before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Aww aren't you a sweetie? How about we spice up this race with a little bet of our own? If me and Aika win, you have to wear my outfit for three days, but if you win...I'll take you for an extra special ride afterward."

"Hehehe~. Ok, but you better be ready cause after this race you're gonna be riding a different kind of burning rubber." Luffy snickered as he and Nami shared a kiss.

"That's not a very fun bet, Big Sis. How is taking Big Brother for a ride in our kart punishing for you when his is far more embarrassing?" Aika asked.

"Um...because..."

"She has to do it in my outfit." Luffy answered quickly causing Aika to laugh.

"Heehee good one, Luffy! She'd look so silly in it."

"Nice save." Nami whispered.

"Thanks."

XXX

About half an hour passed before the crew returned to their karts, waiting on standby in their hanger to be called to the track. High above the island however was the flamboyant commentator, Itomimizu (A.N. Yeah I never would've guessed that was his name either) perched atop his trusty giant sparrow, Chuchun.

"**Aaaaand WELCOME~!" he bellowed into his transponder snail enticing an excited uproar from the crowd. "To the very first Davey Backy Race in the world and boy is it gonna be a doozy! There's gonna be crashes! Explosions! Twists, turns and traps! And what better crews to participate than ourselves and our one and only rivals, THE STRAW HAT PIRATES! Give 'em a round of applause folks!" the crowd exploded into a cheer before Itomimizu continued. "Now for those of you who don't know, the event will consist of a one lap race around the giant track we've set up on the island. But be careful; they're be several hazards along the way so keeps your eyes peeled and your wheels padded. of course I, your eye in the sky will be giving colour commentary on the transpiring events while Chuchun here will be broadcasting a live view back to you lot. But what's the fun in just a simple race?!**"

"**NOTHING!**" the foxy pirates jeered at the idea.

"**Which is why we've also scattered power pods all over the course. Inside of them you'll find a random item to slow down or damage your opponents. Each kart will be manned by two members: a driver and a defender, the latter of which will be in charge of using the pods to protect and attack. If a kart is unable to move be it broken down or broken apart and both members are unable to continue, then that team is disqualified. However, if a team collects three power pods without using them and gives them to me, that team will be authorised to use their kart's special power up. For example if our Boss trades me three pods he can use his trusty slow slow beam. Now to make the race more fun, each team will be given three pods to start the race with. Whether they choose to trade them for a bonus or use what's inside them is up to them. All of this and more leading up the grand prizes our teams are competing against. For us, our old magnificent flag for which we've been apart for too long and for the Straw Hat's this equally magnificent ruby! My it looks good enough to eat don't you think?! But now, without further adieu, let's meet the racers!**" The crowd cheered once more before the hanger on the left side of the track opened and the Foxy pirate karts rolled out towards the starting line.

"**And here we have The Flying Foxes, lead by our Boss accompanied by Hamburg in the Velocious Vixen!**" the crowd cheered as Foxy waved to his crew while Hamburg shook his clasped hands together. The other teams consisted of Porche (driver) and Capote (defender). Chiqicheeta (driver) and Pickles (defender). Jube (driver) and Girarin (defender) the fishmen. And four other random crew mates making up the remaining two teams. Foxy positioned his kart in one of the two starting squares at the head of the group while the other racers took random spots behind.

"**And now...let's hear it for our opponents: The Straw Hat Fireballs!**" introduced Itomimizu to which the crowd cheered as the second hanger opened. "**First up is the man of rubber! the only one who's ever been able to beat our boss, but will he he triumph twice?! let's give it up for Monkey D Luffy, his loyal hound White Wolf Blizzard and their Kart the Fiery Wolf Fist!**" the crowd cheered as the leading Kart made it's way onto the track beside Foxy's. It was a sleek build but well reinforced with large flame patterned wheels and on the sides of the kart were graffiti paintings of a wolf throwing a punch while shrouded in fire while the front of the kart was shaped like a three-headed hell-hound, each head wearing a straw hat. In the front seat sat none other than Luffy with Blizzard placed behind him, the latter of which was wearing nothing but a plain red scarf and a leather aviator cap. Luffy on the other hand was dressed in a long dark blue overcoat, elbow length red gloves and an over-sized blue and red striped cap with white goggles on the brim and what's more, he was also wearing a giant novelty mustache.

"YEAH!" he cheered standing up in his kart with his hands in the air while Blizzard covered his eyes in embarrassment at his master's performance. "I'M GONNA WIN THIS RACE!"

"Looks like you've outdone your fashion sense form last time, Straw Hat." Foxy commented.

"Yeah and just like last time you're going down split head and our fiery wolf is gonna rip that fox kart to pieces!" Luffy pointed.

"_Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!_" Blizzard let out a wheezy snicker at Foxy's responding depression from the insult.

"**Next up, we have the we have the the Desert Rider! And defending it is a man of miracles. The one who freed an entire Colosseum of warriors from the clutches of the dastardly Doflamingo. GOOOOOD USOOOPP~!**" the crowd exploded as Usopp and Franky rode up in their kart which had a large truck like body with large spikes and an exposed engine covering the hood while two large weapon launchers were at the back which looked like a combination of mortars and missile launchers. In the driver seat sat Franky who was garbed in a camouflage flak jacket and his arms had been repainted with burning steering wheels instead of stars. Surprisingly he was also wearing a strange mask over his mouth which appeared to be the bottom half of a skull and additionally he'd grown his hair much longer and slightly wilder. But above the kart in a small cockpit was Usopp who was wearing his goggles, a pair of baggy trousers and a brown headscarf over his hair like he used too, while he'd painted the flaming skull and crossbones, that Luffy had worn in his boxing match, on his chest and the rest of his skin was painted white with black circles around his eyes. He waved to the crowd while Franky on the other hand seemed a trifle miffed.

"HEY! Aren't you forgetting someone?!" he shouted.

"Oh yeah. And Cyborg Franky as driver or whatever. You look nothing like your poster by the way." Itomimizu waffled out unimpressed.

"WHY YOU! I knew teaming up with you was bad idea!" Franky shouted at Usopp. "Again with that bounty of yours!"

"Don't blame it on me!" Usopp blurted back.

"**Moving on, we have a kart both fluffy and fierce with members to match. Give it up for the Straw Hat Sisters: Nami and Aika in the Cloud Wolf!**" the crowd looked to see the girls driving a kart with two large wheels at the sides and a third one at the front while a large jet engine similar to a waver protruded from the rear. The main body of the kart was a sky blue colour with lighting bolts painted on the sides leading up to the tail-fins. In addition the front wheel of the kart was placed under a structure which was shaped like a giant wolf head with large cherry blossom pink eyes. Nami was sitting just behind the head of the kart while Aika was sitting in a small turret between the tail-fins. Both of them were wearing pink biker helmets with cat ears and while Aika was wearing a small leather jacket with paw prints, Nami was wearing an orange v-neck biker suit which showed a fair deal of her cleavage, much to Luffy's joy as he felt a blush coming on until Nami and Aika removed their helmets and greeted the crowd, the former blowing kisses and the latter waving shyly. Nami turned to face Luffy and through him a seductive wink and air kiss. He gulped nervously.

"Good luck, my dastardly darling. Cause after we win you're gonna be wearing this."

"We'll see about that, pretty kitty." Luffy grinned twirling his mustache in a sinister fashion.

"**And here we have the fourth kart, Lovers Rock world famous rock star: Soul King Brook and accompanying him, is Sanji: The Prince of Lameass Kingdom!**"

"SAY THAT TO MY FACE, SOCKHEAD!" Sanji roared from the driver's seat as he and Brook parked their kart which was shaped more like an original race car you'd see int he Grand Prix, though this one was jet black with yellow wheels and heart shaped flames painted on the sides. Attached to the back were several long upward facing exhaust pipes and placed just behind the driver's seat was a small platform which had two enormous amplifiers on either side and standing on stage was Brook armed with his guitar only this one was slightly different from his green shark guitar, he was now holding a red hammerhead shaped on with two pipes sticking out of the top. The skeleton himself had dyed his afro a brilliant blue while on top was a large top hat similar to his own only this one was black with same heart shaped flame on the face. He was also dressed in a black and white striped suit with dark blue trousers along with a pair of large dark purple gold rimmed sunglasses. Sanji meanwhile was wearing a gold and white coat with an oversized collar along with a pair of yellow trousers, a pair of slim red shades and a necklace which had a large gold 'S' charm on it.

"**And here comes the devilish duo, Zoro and Robin! And their equally demonic kart; The Hecatonchires!**" the crowd cheered as Robin and Zoro came riding in on their vehicle. It was jet black and the front of the kart had been shaped into the face of a demon with glaring red headlights. the tail-fins were shaped like bat wings and on either side of the kart what looked a giant sheathed sword was attached. Robin sat comfortably in a throne like seat behind the wheel dressed in a similar outfit to Nami only this one was dark purple with black cobweb patterns on the thighs and arms while a black widow spider image occupied the chest area. Zoro was in a second thrown behind her wearing a deep green kimono and a samurai helm and red armour over his chest and arms.

"I'll be counting on you to watch my back, my demon swordsman." Robin winked at him as she put on her driving helmet. Zoro nodded in response though the was finding it hard to look away from her due to her, choice of wardrobe.

"_Damn, does she look hot in that. When this is over there's no way I'm letting those Foxy pirates take that outfit back._" he declared in thought.

"**And last but not least, we have the furriest members of the crew. The puppy Kumi and our ex-member Chopper in their kart: The Sweet Seeker!**" Chopper waved as he and Kumi rolled up in the last kart which had a cone shaped front colorued like a candy cane while the body was wrapped in a puffy pink coat identical to cotton candy where the little reindeer and malamute were nestled. Poking out of the back were long exhaust pipes that looked like melon flavoured pocky and between the pipes was a large glass dome like object filled with smaller multi-coloured spheres like a gumball machine.

"You ready for this, Kumi?" Chopper grinned.

**Yip-Yip!** Kumi barked in reply which widened Choppers smile as he pulled down the yellow visor of the big green crash helmet with pinks pots he was wearing along with a red vest with the kanji for 'speed' on the back in white. Kumi was also wearing a crash helmet only hers was sky blue like Chopper's cap with orange stripes.

"**And now, all our contestants are ready. One race, two teams and one winner!**" Itomimizu shouted into his speaker before he flew down tot he track hovering a few meters above it before he pulled out a big checkered racing flag, while Chuchun held up a set of starting lights in his beak on the end of a string. "**Racers! Start your engines!**" he began as the pirates began to rev their karts, Luffy and Foxy throwing a competitive glance at one another before the starting lights began to glow one by one in red. **BEEP!...BEEP!...BEEP!**

"**Ready...get set...GOOOOOOOO!**" **BEEEEEEEEP! VROOOOOOOOOMM! **As the lights turned green and the flag was waved the karts sprang from the starting line in a burst of speed, the blow-back almost knocked Itomimizu from his sparrow's back before he took off after them.

"And there they go! With the Captain's leading the pack! Though that is to be expected." Foxy turned to face hamburg before nodding which his right hand man returned before taking their three pods and placing them in a cannon which pointed directly upward while Foxy pressed a button which sounded an alarm.

"**UH-OH! The Boss has issued a trade!**" Itomimizu said before the cannon on Foxy's kart shot the three pods skyward which Chuchun caught in a basket. Foxy grinned before he pointed his hands into two holes on either side of the steering wheel.

"SLOW-SLOW BEAM! FEEEH-FEH-FEH-FEH!" he cackled as his hand unleashed rings of pink light into the holes before they were soon shot out from the rear of his kart. Luffy gasped as he managed to swerve to avoid them but the other racers weren't so lucky as the beams struck several of the crew including Franky, Sanji and Chopper's teams as well as some of the Foxy karts.

"Daaaaaarrrrrn iiiiiiit~!" Franky cursed from the beams affects.

"Weeeee shoooould haaaaave seeeeeeen thaaaaaaaaat coooooomiiiiiing~!" Sanji droned.

"Don't worry guys. You'll catch up when it wares off!" Nami called as she and Aika raced after the others.

"**And already the Boss has brought out his trump card. This race is certainly off to a slow but exciting start. Just what else do we have in store?**"

XXX

After about thirty seconds the frozen racers carried on after those in front. Foxy was currently in first place with Luffy and Blizzard close behind in second and Porche and Nami's teams tying for third. The former team spotted a row of power pods lying on the track up ahead before Capote grabbed one as they passed by while Nami's kart opened its mouth and swallowed one before it passed up a tube to where Aika was sitting.

"A wolf isn't exactly the best choice for you, right Cat Burglar?" Porche taunted. "Let 'em have it, Capote!" the fishman laughed before he tossed the pod in front of Nami and Aika's kart and it popped open revealing a giant blue banana with yellow spots. Nami unfortunately had no time to dodge it as the Cloud wolf ran over the fruit causing it to skid wildly from its slipperiness allowing the Foxy team to get ahead of them.

"Hahaha! There's nothing more slippy than winter bananas. Good thing Boss had crates of them in storage." Porche chuckled.

"That long nosed wench!" Nami cursed. "Load up, Aika! we're not gonna be beaten by them!"

"You got it!" Aika replied as she rummaged through the pods they had before placing one in the canon and aiming ti at Porche's kart and fired. With that, a large bear trap on a chain sprang form the canon and bit down on the bumper of the opposing kart before retracting and slingshot them passed Porche and into third place.

"See you at the finish line~!" Aika laughed at their shocked faces before the chase continued.

XXX

Meanwhile Sanji and Brook having recovered from the slow-slow beam were in the process of trying to regain some lead in the race.

"That dirty cheating fox. I'm gonna put my boot so far up his ass he'll be coughing up leather!" the former snarled as he overtook one of the Foxy teams. "Brook I think it's time we show 'em some real speed!"

"Yes indeed, Sanji. Time to burn some rubber! YOW!" Brook said before they sounded their kart's alarm, calling Itomimizu down before Brook handed him three power pods. Sanji then raised his foot before slamming it down on the peddle, igniting his diable jambe before fire burst from the exhaust pipes and sent the kart blasting forward leaving a trail of flaming tyre tracks behind it.

"**WOW! The Lovers Rock has just burst into a trail of fast flames!"** the commentator gawked at the scene before him as Sanji and Brook sped passed the other races before they were neck and neck with the fishmen team of Jube and Girarin. The latter growled at the Straw hat's before he attempted to slash at them with his arms blades only to have them blocked by brook's guitar.

"Let's make some noise~! YOHOHOHOHO!" the skeleton laughed maniacally before he began to strum his guitar in a burst of heavy metal causing flames to spray from the end of the instrument setting Girarin ablaze. the fishman screamed in pain, swinging his blades madly until one of them struck Jube in the shoulder causing him to swerve their kart before brook aimed the large amplifiers at them and let out a powerful shock wave after striking his guitar which sent the opposing team tumbling off the track and into a nearby tree.

"**OW! Now that's a crash!" **Itomimizu cringed. "**Seems Soul King blew the fishmen duo away with his fiery tunes! The Flying Foxes are down one kart!**" the foxy pirates in the audience let out a jumbled mixture of cheering, booing and gasping. It seemed the Straw hats had a few tricks of their own.

XXX

**"And we're back of the race folks! and already we've seen some carnage. The fishman duo were knocked out and we saw a good scuffle between Porche and Nami. The Boss is still in the lead with Straw hat close behind and Nami in third. What does this race have in store for us all next?!"**

The racers sped through the track grabbing pods left and right to defend and attack each other. Foxy grinned wickedly before he flashed his high beams which signaled a nearby Foxy Pirate hiding in a bush. The grunt nodded before he pulled a leaver causing the ground behind Foxy's kart to sink revealing a pit of large menacing spikes which the rest of the racers found themselves approaching fast. Most of them managed to clear it easily. Nami created a bridge of skycloud to cross while Luffy simply stretched his arms to bungee them over and Robin crafted two giant arms to lift them until eventually after the rest of the crew had crossed the pit Chopper and Kumi were the only Straw Hats left but they had found themselves in a scrape with one of the foxy teams who were trying to ram them into the pit.

"Kumi. It's time for our secret weapon." Chopper whispered to which Kumi grinned and nodded but just when the Foxy pirates were about to attack them, the Akita puppy and little reindeer stared at the pirates with the their lips pouted and their eyes big and shiny.

"**Cute sparkle~!**" They chimed together which melted the brutish pirates into a adoring pile of sap as they couldn't take their eyes of the adorable pair...which led to them driving straight into the pit while Chopper and Kumi jumped over and carried on.

"**Ooh! I don't care which island you're from, that's GOTTA hurt! The sweet seeker and its sweeter drivers have crushed their opponents with cuteness!"**

Foxy growled led upon hearing this. "_Damn! Two of my racers are out and the whole Straw Hat crew is still in the game. I think it's time I turn the tables!_ Hamburg! Time to...turn the tables." Hamburg sniggered when he heard this and opened the trunk of the kart to find it filled with power pods, only these ones were just plastic balls with no power ups in them. He then passed three to his Captain before sounding the alarm and calling Itomimizu. After handing him the pods, Foxy flashed the headlights on his kart which caught the sight of several of his underlings hidden in the undergrowth. One of them pulled a lever which caused mirrors to pop up like daisies along either side of the track.

"Let's see you dodge this. SLOW-SLOW BEAM: BARRIER!" Foxy said as eh fired his beams out of the kart causing them to bounce off the mirrors, forming a wall of slowness before the other racers. Luffy gasped when he saw it.

"OH CRAP! WE'RE GONNA CRASH!" he shouted as the barrier drew closer but before ti did, Blizzard spotted on of the mirrors and in one swift chomp he seized the mirror form the ground and redirected the beam safely out of the way, allowing them to pass unslowed.

"Blizzard you did it! Way to use your mouth!" Luffy cheered earning a proud snicker form his canine companion. Foxy cursed at his trap being foiled again but that was when he saw a tall mountain up ahead with a tunnel in the bottom and he grinned.

"_Hahaha. Those setbacks won't matter now. I'd like to see those Straw hats get passed this obstacle._" he thought as he sped towards the tunnel when all of a sudden a giant shadow appeared over the spot in front of the tunnel growing bigger and bigger until...**FOOM! **A humongous fish-man giant landed in front of the entrance. It was none other than Big Pan of the Groggy Monsters.

"**AND THERE HE IS! Our colossal titan, Big Pan. He will serve as the next big obstacle in this race as the guard dog of the tunnel. Will the racers be able to make it passed his fists and feet?!"** Foxy laughed maniacally as Big pan let him through the tunnel before covering the tunnel with his foot and laughing himself. Luffy glared at him before he picked up a power pod and placed ti int he cannon.

"EAT THIS KING KONG!" he shouted before firing two missiles from the kart at Big Pan. **pfft, pfft. **The explosives poofed in a tiny explosion on his massive body which only made him frown.

"BOOOO! NOT COOL!" he jeered at Luffy before he began to stomp around in an attempt to squish the captain and wolfdog.

"Dammit we're in trouble!" Luffy cursed as he desperately swerved to avoid getting stomped. The rest of the teams were catching up and as Chopper and Kumi noticed what was going on, the reindeer narrowed his eyes.

"Kumi I think it's time for Plan R." the puppy gasped when eh said this.

"_But we'd be disqualified if we do that._"

"There's no other way! that big ape is blocking the only path and all the while Foxy's winning. If we can get the others through we still have a chance at winning." Kumi looked at him before nodding. Chopper returned the gesture before opening a compartment to reveal a rumble ball which he tossed into his mouth.

"Plan R: RUMBLE!" **Crunch!** he chomped the pill in his teeth before jumping out of the kart as he began to grow before fully morphing into his monster point with Kumi on his shoulder and the kart in his hand.

"**WH-WH-WHAAAAAAAA~?! Am I seeing things or did Chopper just turn into a gigantic monster?!"** Itomimizu yelped at the sudden event.

"What happened to Choppy?! That's not cute at all~!" Porche squeaked as Chopper ran passed all the racers with great speed until he reeled back his fist as he approached Big Pan.

"Cloven...Roseo...PALM!" **POW! **Chopper slammed hsi iron hoof fingers into Big Pan's bonce sending the giant toppling away from the mountain.

"CHOPPER!" Luffy shouted.

"GO! The path's open!" Chopper called in his booming voice.

"_LITTLE BROTHER!_" Blizzard said.

"Go on without me! I'll handle him! Beat splithead!" Chopper roared as he started punching Big pan in the face while Kumi howled in cheer from the sidelines. Luffy stared at his doctor before nodding.

"Come on guys! Chopper's cleared the way! Let's win thsi thing!" he punched the air before speeding off down the tunell.

"**YEAH!**" The rest of the crew cheered as they followed as Chopper landed the final blow knocking Big Pan out cold and no sooner had he done so his three minutes ran out and he shrank back into his brain point, falling flat on his back, unable to move from the fatigue.

"**...It seems little Chopepr is unabel to move! And his partner Kumi has no thumbs. So I'm afraid by rule they must be disqualified.**" Itomimizuk declared befor ehsi eyes began to fill with proud tears. "**But...CHOPPER HAS DONE IT ONCE MORE! Once again he has proven his worth as a true man of the sea by sacrificing his place in the game for his captain and his crew so they might still stand a chance of winning the race! No wonder straw hat fought so hard to get him back last time! Any crew would want someone as selfless and noble as him! Let's hear it for Chopper!**"

"**YEEEEEAAAHHH! CHO-PPER! CHO-PPER! CHO-PPER! CHO-PPER!**" the foxy pirates chanted as Kumi padded over to him and sat beside him.

"_You did it, Chopper._"

"Yeah, but I still wish I could've tried to win the race." Chopper frowned before Kumi gave him a big loving doggy kiss.

"_You dummy. You did win. Thanks to you the others can beat Foxy and win the race because of you. You're the greatest, Chopper._" the reindeer felt his cheeks glow from the puppy's compliment before he flopped around on the ground, unable to do his happy dance but still grinning bashfully.

"Like that'll make me happy you fleabag~!" he laughed as Kumi went back to licking his face thankfully. One team was out but they'd gone out the best way to: for their crew.

XXX

With the Sweet Seeker out of the race the Straw Hat Fireballs were down to five racers and Foxy had taken a lead thanks to Big Pan's interference, but they were far from beaten. Robin and Zoro were still holding strong in the Hecatonchires having evaded any attacks from the enemy racers thanks to Robin's ojos fleur allowing her to see nay attacks form behind and Zoro cutting away at any they failed to dodge.

"Keep it up, Robin. If we overtake that Porche girl we'll get fourth place behind Luffy and Nami!" Zoro said as he redirected a pwoer pod thrown at them by Pickles and Chiqicheeta who were catching up fast. the latter of which had activated their super move which was using his zone type abilities to pedal their kart at incredible speed. Pickles snickered as he drew hsi swords as they approached the Straw hats.

"It's payback time, Roronoa!" he yelled as he took a swing at Zoro who blocked his attack.

"Are you really saying that to the guy who beat you with NO swords last time?" he retorted.

"Who said anything about sword-fighting?" Pickles asked as Chuiqicheeta rammed their kart into the Hecatonchires causing it to swerve a little. Robin glared at her opponents as they attempted to push them off the track before she gathered three power pods they'd collected.

"Zoro. It's time." she said. Zoro nodded before they launched the pods to Itomimizu before Robin crossed her arms (an additional pari keeping hold of the wheel).

"Mill fleur! Quatro mano!" she said as two large arms grew form either side and the kart and grabbed hold of the swords and unsheathed them until a second pair of hands grabbed the opposing kart to keep them still. "Slice!" with that the Hecatonchires swung the giant sword and sliced the other kart in three sending the pieces and the shocked drivers tumbling away.

"**UNBELIEVABLE! Nico Robin and Roronoa Zoro's kart has come to life and chopped Pickles and Chiqicheeta to pieces!**"

"Nice one. You're a pretty great swordswoman." Zoro grinned earning a small blush from Robin. The race carried on as the pirates on found themselves driving through a large canyon full of twists and ramps. Foxy looked back at his opponents, frustrated his team was now down to three and Luffy was catching up again. But how to stall the other racers when he couldn't' use his beams in such a wide canyon, easily avoidable. But that was when he noticed an overhang in the valley up ahead and grinned as Hamburg passed him one of their power pods before he aimed it at the overhang and fired. A cannonball whistled through the air before it struck the overhang causing a spiderweb of cracks to split across it before ti soon came crumbling down as Foxy sped underneath laughing all the way.

"Try getting through that!" he called back as the landslide settled in a large mound of rocks completing blocking the track. Luffy cursed under his breath

"_I can't use my gear third and steer at the same time. and Blizzard doesn't even have thumbs and we're out of power pods. What do we do?!_" he thought before the soudn of revving engines and ecstatic roars reached his ears and as he and Nami looked back from their kart they saw Franky and Usopp coming up fast in the Desert Rider. The former was growling in anticipation while the latter was aiming the kart's turret at the landslide. Franky then delivered three pods to the sparrow before grinning.

"Let's show them what real artillery can do. Usopp!"

"You got it!" the sniper replied before the cyborg pressed a button causing the two large weapon launchers to open their hatches while Usopp's turret began to give off a blueish glow.

"**DESERT FURY!**" the two of them roared as a barrage of missiles and a coup de vent exploded from the kart and rocketed towards the landslide before with a mighty **KABOOM!** obliterated it, sending rocks flying into the air as the racers passed through unblocked.

"SUPEEEERRRRR!" Franky cheered as they passed through...but then, a whistling soudn reached his ears and a shadow loomed over the kart before Franky and Usopp looked up and before they even had time to gasp a large stray boulder came tumbling down and with a metallic **CRUNCH!** flattened the front half of the Desert Rider missing Franky by the metal skin of his nose. The two of them sat their with gaping mouths as the other karts passed them, followed by a tumble weed until the silence was broken by a high pitched howl.

"AAAAAAAAAAAUUUGHH! MY BABY!" Franky wailed over his half crushed kart, Usopp looking equally shocked. It seemed that like Chopper, their own selfless act had resulted in their own disqualification. But there was hope for the crew yet. Sanji and Brook were catching up with the leading racers having used their speed boost again to gain some ground and they even managed to overtake Zoro and Robin which didn't sit well for the former at the thought of being outraced by his rival.

"Keep it up, Sanji! We're in fifth place behind Nami and Aika!" Brook called. But before they could keep moving a voice reached their ear(hole)s.

"Yoo-hoo~! Mr Cook~! Mr Soul King~!" the pair looked to see another kart pulling up alongside and they gaped to see it filled with a group of Foxy's cheerleader squad.

"You're looking as handsome as ever, Sanji~." one of the ladies winked at him.

"You're my hero, Soul King! Will you please sign my chest~?" another asked Brook flirtily. The two perverts felt their face heat up before Sanji shook his head and turned his gaze back to the track.

"Crap! Don't listen to them, Brook! I fell for this in the last Davey Back Fight twice. They're just trying to distract us so we'll crash.

"Aww~! You don't wanna ride with us like in the boat race?" one of the girls asked feigning sadness. "Your lap is so much comfier than this kart seat." Sanji gritted his teeth at the erotic invitations.

"You're right, Sanji. We need to remain focused on the race." Brook said. The Foxy girls frowned at their resistance before they smirked at each other.

"Oh my! It's getting so hot out here." one of them said tugging at her collar. "We should probably change into something...lighter." the two straw hat's ears momentarily quadrupled in size to hear what she'd said.

"Good thing our competitors are keeping their heads turned while we change." said another as she began to unbutton her top as Sanji desperately fought back the urge to look to his left.

"Then we better do it quick before they notice." a third said shyly as she reached to pull back her shirt, partly flashing her cleavage. And that was the tipping point for Sanji and Brook as their heads snapped to the side, heart eyes bugging and noses bleeding.

"WHAT PANTIES ARE YOU WEARING?!" Brook asked before the Foxy girls pulled out power pods from behind their backs and laughed mockingly as they threw them in front of their opponents kart exploding into a puddle of oil and tacks. the result, is what you would've guessed: Sanji and Brook, too late to notice hit the hazardous puddle which obliterated their tyres and sent their kart skidding straight into a chestnut tree, mangling the front of it. The girls laughed as they passed them...and not long after did Zoro and Robin, the former laughing his head off.

"That's what you get for being a couple of horn dogs!" he hollered as they sped on leaving the two behind. Brook looked at Sanji before grinning awkwardly with a shrug and strummed four notes on his guitar.

**Twang-twang-twang-twa-a-a-a-aaang~! **Sanji replied with an exasperated sigh before slamming his head on the steering wheel, honking its horn int he process.

XXX

Luffy and Blizzard were now neck and neck with Foxy for first place while Nami and Aika were tying second with Porche and Capote. The race track was now spiraling up a mountain; the track was narrow and occasionally rocks fell from he mountainside which led to some close encounters but nothing the racers couldn't avoid. Foxy was growing more and more frustrated. he was running out of options and the home stretch was approaching fast. But the sly old fox had one last trap up his sleeve or more accurately up ahead. As he glanced at Luffy he rammed his kart against the Fiery Wolf Fist startling the captain.

"Bastard! He's trying to push us off the track!" Luffy cursed. "Hold on, Blizzard!" he then slammed his foot on the peddle causing the kart to scrape passed Foxy and pull ahead.

"NOOO! Damn you Straw Hat!" Foxy yelled.

"YES! Luffy's int he lead!" Nami cheered. But before her boyfriends had first place for even ten seconds...**SPROING! **A giant spring erupted form underneath the Fiery Wolf Fist, catapulting it into the air...and off the track as it fell from the mountain.

"LUFFY!" Nami cried.

"BIG BROTHER!" Aika screamed.

"BLIZZARD!" Chopper panicked, watching the race from the sidelines. Luffy managed to climb out of the driver seat and grab Blizzard before hanging onto the cliff with his other hand as he pulled them both to safety as the kart exploded upon hitting the ground.

"That was a close one." he panted from the shock.

"FEH-FEH-FEH-FEH! He drove right into the trap. Hook line and sinker!" Foxy laughed maniacally. "Now no one's gonna beat me!"

"DON'T GET TOO COMFORTABLE SPLIT HEAD!" a ferocious voice roared as he looked and squeaked in fear at the sight of a blazing Nami, eyes red and hair whipping as she drove after him, Aika mimicking her big sister's raging expression. "When I turn that kart of yours into scrap and win this race fro Luffy, I'm gonna wear your fat ass on my foot like a rhinestone slipper!" the navigator snarled. "And after that I'm gonna rip up that dishrag flag of yours right in front of you!" the Cloud Wolf riders continued to start down Foxy as they tried to catch up to him, unaware that Porche and Capote were aiming their canon at them from behind.

"Sorry, Cat Burglar. but this time the Boss takes the win." the former giggled as she fired two power pods at the girls, but then suddenly a pair of arms sprouted from the back of the kart and caught them much to the Foxy pirate's shock before they looked back to see Zoro and Robin right behind them.

"Guess again, long nose!" Zoro grinned as he swung his swords at them forcing Capote to block their attack with his own blade.

"Nami, Aika! Keep going, we'll handle this!" Robin called.

"Thanks, Robin we owe you one!" Nami called back as they chased after Foxy until they were neck and neck and out of the mountain range, back into the forest where the finish line awaited, Chopper, Kumi, Usopp, Franky, Sanji and Brook waiting by it ecstatically.

XXX

"**And here they come, into the home stretch! It's the Velocious Vixen and the Cloud Wolf with the latter out in front! Time's almost up!**" Itomimizu said as Nami kept her pedal to the metal while Foxy and Hamburg remained behind. The Captain growled in annoyance.

"Hamburg! Load up the next round! We're finishing this race." he grinned as Hamburg chuckled before grabbing a pod and placing it in the cannon; this one containing a speed-shot. "Let's see you dodge this, cat Burglar! Fehhh-feh-feh-feh!" with maniacal laughter, Foxy launched the small but fast missile towards Nami and Aika. The former gasped as she saw it coming.

"_It's too fast for me to dodge! If I turn it'll hit the side and send our Kart rolling. There's only one way out!_ Aika! It's time for 'Tactics 20'!" Aika gasped when she heard Nami speak those two words before Nami flipped open a plastic case covering a big red button. "Now!" **Click. BOOM!** As soon as Nami pressed the button, the Cloud Wolf opened it's mouth and at that same instant the speed-shot hit the kart causing it to go up in a burst of smoke.

"**What a shot! The boss sneaked in a speed-shot at the Cloud Wolf! Could victory be assured for the Foxy Pirates?!**" Itomimizu commented as he stared into the smoke cloud before it began to clear. "Wait wait a minute!" just as the cloud dissipated it revealed the Cloud Wolf which had had its propulsion jet blown off rendering it immobile and Nami was still in the driver's seat coughing and waving her hand to blow the smoke away...but Aika was gone. But at that moment, something came speeding out of the smoke a few feet ahead of the Cloud Wolf and as the last of the smoke disappeared everyone gasped to see none other than Aika, driving a tiny kart made from the third wheel of the Cloud Wolf with a wolf cub shaped frame and two small exhaust pipes behind it.

"**I-INCREDIBLE!**" Itomimizu squawked at what he was seeing. "**Little Aika is still in the race! Although Cat Burglar Nami is indeed out, Aika is riding a secret side-kart made from the front wheel of the original vehicle, so it still counts! Guess the Cloud Wolf had a cub!**" Foxy stared, slack-jawed and bug-eyed before he snarled and slammed his fist against the steering wheel in frustration as he pursued Aika.

"That sneaky pup! Hamburg! Load the next round. But make it a Tar-Bomb! I'm not going to blow up a child."

"They're aren't anymore, Boss! That was the last one!" Hamburg yelped wringing his hands, having checked the pod tank. Foxy cursed under his breath before he sighed calmly.

"Then we have no other choice. We must lighten the load." he said with a straight face.

"How?" Hamburg asked before Foxy pressed a button. **SPROING~!** The gorilla man was launched out of his seat by an enormous spring, catapulting him out of the kart and into the air.

"SORRY~! IT'S FOR THE CREW~!" Foxy apologised over his shoulder before he continued after Aika, the Velocious Vixen gaining speed without Hamburg's hulking bulk weighing her down. Aika looked back and gasped when she saw him catching up.

"End of the line, Pup!" he cackled.

"**And this is it, folks! The finish line is in it sight! This could be the big finale!**" Itomimizu said as everyone watched.

"Come on, Aika! Come on, Sis!" Luffy encouraged having met up with the others at the finish line.

"You can win this!" Nami cheered.

"Make him eat your dust, little Sis!" Franky shouted.

"**AI-KA! AI-KA! AI-KA!**" Chopper and Kumi chanted together.

"Come on, squirt! Win this thing!" Zoro hollered. As though she had heard the distant support from her family, Aika focused on the finish line with a determined glare as did Foxy as he was now neck and neck with her.

"**They're at each others throats, people! Could this be it?!**" Itomimizu commented ecstatically. Aika and Foxy both threw a glance at each other, the latter actually beginning to pull ahead until the former reached her finger out towards a big blue button in the center of her steering wheel.

"**Yes...yes..**" Itomimizu leaned right to the edge of Chuchun attempting to look even closer at the race, his excitement building as much as the audience's. And as soon as Aika pressed the button...**WHOOOOSH~!** The Cloud Cub exploded forward in blast of steam; a mini coup de burst which sent her speeding away from the gaping Foxy...and over the finish line. The crowd remained deathly silent at what had just happened before the entire island shook as every but one person on it exploded in a cheer.

"**AND SHE DID IT! AIKA HAS WON THE RACE!**" Itomimizu fell right off his sparrow from cheering, resulting in the bird having to catch him with it's feet as Aika came to a screeching halt and no sooner had she done so was she scooped out of her kart and into Luffy's arms as he hugged and kissed her with tears of pride in his eyes.

"YOU DID IT! YOU WON! YOU BURNED MORE RUBBER THAN MY RED HAWK! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!" he wept as the rest of the crew joined him to shower Aika with congratulatory affection before they began to toss her up in the air chanting her name, the little wolf girl laughing and bursting with joyful pride.

"**Not only did she throw us for a loop with that mini kart of hers! But she also amazed us with a secret speed booster just waiting for the perfect moment to unleash it! Oho! Oh my god! Ladies and Gentlemen I have witnessed many a contest in my time but that...****_that_**** was one of the greatest! And thus I declare the winners of the Davy Backy Race, THE STRAW HAT PIRATES!**" Itomimizu concluded. And of course, while everyone was cheering to the end of a great race, Foxy remained in his kart completely dumbstruck as Hamburg waddled up to him, sporting a large comical lump on his head, to pat him on the back.

"Ya gave it your best shot."

"Well, Boss. You know the rules. Now cough up Mr R." Nami smirked. The Silver Fox sighed in defeat.

"Oh well, fair is fair. The ruby's yours." Foxy said, presenting the giant ruby to the navigator who squealed in delight as she hugged it. "And, I know it's not my position to ask but, at least keep the flag away from your dogs, Straw Hat."

"Well it's not my choice, Split head. Aika won so it's her decision on what she does with the flag." Luffy said as everyone looked at Aika holding the flag. she glanced at it, then to her crew and then to Foxy, before she smiled and walked over to him and held out the flag.

"Wha...what are you doing?" he asked, confused.

"I'm giving it to you." Aika replied sweetly.

"**WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!**" the Foxy Pirates gaped in shock.

"But you won!" said hamburg, scratching his head.

"We don't need your pity, kid! We lost so don't patronize us it's insulting!" Porche said.

"I'm not patronizing. I just want to be nice." Aika said. "The whole reason you all did this was cause you didn't want all the other pirates to make fun of you cause of that silly flag you're now using. if you have your old flag back, no one will laugh at you anymore. No one should have to go through life a laughing stock."

"I wish it were that simple but rules are rules." Foxy said. "I won't lower myself to stealing my flag back or accepting it as a reward after failing to win it back."

'Then don't take it as a reward. Take I as thanks." Aika said.

"Thanks? for what?"

"For the race. I had so much fun with everyone. Sometimes races aren't about winning them but running them, or driving them in this case. "You may all act silly, but you're a lot of fun too."

"I'll admit she's right about that." Luffy said. "You may be annoying and a weasel, but there's never a dull moment when you're around."

"So, for giving us such a fun race, accept this flag as thanks." Aika smiled as Foxy looked at her utterly speechless as hints of happy tears began to prick his eyes.

"You mean...we can have it back, without shame?"

"Mm-hmm." Aika replied as she held out the flag to Foxy's trembling hands as he tentatively reached out to touch it before with a joyful cheer he raised the flag it not the air before hie crew with both hands, tears of joy streaming his face as the rest of the crew cheered with equal joy.

"My Little Sister. She's such an angel." Luffy sniffed as he wiped his eyes.

"I know. She just as surprising as you are." Nami beamed proudly at the little girl too as did the rest of the Straw Hats.

"That's our Aika." Chopper grinned as Foxy turned back to face them and bowed.

"Miss Aika, I thank you so for your kindness, and you too Straw Hats for allowing me a chance to earn back my flag." he stood up and held out his hand to Luffy. "What do you say we finally put our passed scuffles behind us? Next time we meet, let's just compete for fun, like today." Luffy smiled as was about shake his hand before he retracted.

"Hold on! This isn't another trick is it?!" Foxy laughed.

"Not this time. Captain's honor." he swore before Luffy sighed in relief and the two captain shook hands, finally coming to a truce. Until finally, the Foxy pirates packed up and sailed off on the Sexy Foxy.

"Until next time, Straw Hat!" Foxy waved.

"We'll beat you next time!" Hamburg laughed.

"I'll miss you, Choppy~!" Porche called blowing the reindeer several kisses which surprisingly chased him in circles much to his fearful surprise.

"You know Aika's right. That was fun." Usopp grinned.

"And now that they're done with this stupid rivalry we don't need to worry about their setups anymore." Sanji said.

"And best of all, we got this big red beauty out of it." Nami grinned and she hugged the ruby.

"I wonder how many berries it's worth?" Zoro asked.

"A lot I'm sure for a gem that size." Brook guessed.

"It's so pretty." Aika looked at her reflection in the gem before...she sniffed it. "It smells...sweet."

'hey now that you mention it it does smell sweet." Chopper said, sniffing the gem himself. Kumi and Blizzard padded over too noting the smell before the Kumi leaned forward and licked it.

"KUMI!" Nami barked as the puppy smacked her lips before smiling and licking the ruby some more and yipping.

"She said it tastes sweet too." Chopper translated as he, Aika and Blizzard began tasting the gem as well much to the crew's confusion. Luffy walked over to join them inspected the gem himself. He rubbed his chin before **CHOMP! **he took a bite out of the ruby.

"AAAAAHHH!" Nami screamed as she grabbed Luffy by the throat. "YOU GLUTTONOUS OAF! THAT'S OUR PRIZE, SPIT IT OUT RIGHT NOW!"

"But it's yummy!" Luffy argued back.

"But gem's aren't edible." Sanji said confused as he broke off a bit of the gem and tasted it himself before his eyes widened. "It's strawberry! It's strawberry candy!"

"**WHAAAT!?**" the crew asked in shock.

"Bu-B-B-Bu-But...how?! How can..." Nami stuttered unable to find the words.

"Actually, as i recall, Foxy did describe the gem as 'scrumptious'." Robin spoke up. "back then it just sounded like a common adjective but now...I think he meant it literally."

"Yeah and didn't he say it took them three days to prepare it? He must've meant it took them three days to make that much candy." Zoro said.

"So...then...that means...this race was-" Nami began.

"-A complete waste of time." Usopp finished with a nod before Nami began to pound her fists and feet on the ground, crying comical waterfalls.

"HE TRICKED UUUUUSSS~!" she wailed.

"Hey cheer up, Big Sis. It's not like we lost anything. We made a truce with them and we got a great dessert form it."

"TRUCE MY BUTT! GET BACK HERE YOU SPLIT HEADED BOWLING PIN!" Nami screamed as Usopp and Sanji held her back while she shook her fist at the sexy foxy disappearing over the horizon while Luffy and Aika laughed their heads off.

"Shishishishishi! That's Foxy!" Luffy grinned as a black iris closed in on the scene before Foxy burst through the background and waved.

"Afeh-feh feh-feh feh! That's all folks~!"

**The End**


	25. Heart to Heart

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Aika, Kumi, Blizzard and Jupiter belong to XfangheartX**

* * *

**Everyone seems to have grown fond of little Aika. All but one: the very man who told the Straw hats of her relation, Trafalgar Law. But what will it take to get the Supernova to find his own bond with the little Monkey?**

**Heart to Heart**

* * *

The Thousand Sunny was carrying onward towards Dressrosa, though her journey had taken quite a few events on the way. The biggest being the revelation of an innocent little girl being the half-sister of one Monkey D Luffy. At first it had been a secret kept amongst the crew by Nami's word for fear of her beloved captain's heart risking a second breaking. But it turned out; the Straw Hats weren't the only ones to know of Aika's shared Father. Fleet Admiral Akainu had been the first to learn of it and had destroyed her home, family and life with a buster call in the hopes of killing the child just for living. And when that plan failed he resorted to sending Vice Admiral Auguste to bring her to him but he had been no match for Luffy. Not long after the fight, Nami finally decided Luffy could handle the truth as well as Aika and from the moment the two embraced for the first time as brother and sister, the hearts of everyone on board had grown tenfold with the new addition to the family. Well…all but one. The crew's ally, Trafalgar Law. Despite the fact that she'd bonded with each and every one of the Straw Hats and that he'd saved her from appendicitis, Law had shown little to no interest in Aika which rather confused the crew. Had it not been for him, they never would have learned that Aika was related to Luffy. As of now, the super nova was quietly sitting on deck with his back to the wall, his cap tipped over his eyes and his sword propped up beside him.

"HAHAHAHA! Can't catch me~!" a cheerful yet slightly annoying voice awoke the Surgeon of Death from his rest. He looked up to see Luffy running around the deck and not too far behind him was his little sister, Aika, laughing just as loud as she tried to grab the back of his shirt. "Oh! Ohhh! OH so close!" Luffy teased her as he kept leaning out of her reach several times as she tried to tag him.

"I'm gonna get you, Big Brother!" she sniggered. Law flinched a little when she spoke but then shook his head. The D siblings continued to chase each other until Aika took a leap of faith and finally managed to grab a hold of Luffy, tackling him to the ground. "GOT YOU~!" she cheered before she began to scribble her fingers all over his tummy sending the captain in a fit of laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! AIIIIKAHAHAHAHA! STOHOHOHOHOP! OK! OK! YOU GOT ME! YOU WIN!" Aika stopped tickling him but no sooner had she done this Luffy pinned her to the ground, grinning wickedly. "Sucker!" he said before he pulled her shirt up a little and blew on her stomach, causing the little girl to go into peals of squeals herself.

"LUFFYYYY~! PLEAHEEHEEHEEASE~!" she begged before Luffy stopped and rolled onto his back, pulling her with him so she was sitting on his chest. The two of them smiled at each other before Aika threw her arms around him in a loving hug which Luffy immediately returned as he sat up.

"I still can't believe this is real. I actually have a little sister." He said.

"I know what you mean. I never thought I'd have a big brother, let alone that he would be the future King of the Pirates." Aika said. "But if you really think it's a dream, maybe this'll help." She added before she suddenly pinched Luffy on the cheek.

"Ow! Hey!"

"There, you see? You're not dreaming."

"Yeah, but did you have to pinch me?" Luffy muttered before Aika gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"All better." She grinned. Luffy looked at her before he grinned back and kissed her cheek in return.

"I love you, Little Sister." He said.

"I love you too, Big Brother." Aika replied as they embraced. Law sneered at the sight of it.

"_Oh gag me with a spoon._" He thought.

"Hey, Traffy!" he looked to see Aika waving at him. "You wanna come play tag with us?"

"No." Law replied bluntly.

"Well, how about hide and seek?"

"No."

"Leap frog?"

"No!"

"Then, maybe sword fi-"

"I said no! I don't play childish games like that." Law said.

"You're never too old to play, Traffy." Luffy said. "Aika just wants to have fun with you."

"Well she can have more than enough with _you_." Law replied as he got up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to change Caesar's rope. He'll have almost chewed through the latest one by now." With that he walked away.

"Luffy." The captain looked down at Aika who seemed a little sad. "Does Traffy not like me? Did I do something wrong?"

"No. No, no you haven't done anything wrong. Traffy's just being a bit of a stiff. He'll lighten up don't you worry."

"It's just, I never would've found out you were my brother if not for him. And he saved my life too. Why would he do that if he doesn't like me?"

"Exactly. If he didn't care he never would've done it. But he does care. He's just a bit like Zoro. He thinks he's too tough to show he likes you like we do. But you'll see." Luffy reassured her with a pet on the head. But as Law was walking off towards the storeroom Caesar was locked up in, he glanced back at the D siblings and an image flashed in his mind.

"_Big Brother? Wanna play? Let's play._" A young girl with brown hair asked in a sweet little voice that echoed in his head which he shook vigorously.

"Leave me alone." He murmured.

XXX

Luffy was currently seated with the crew, along with Kinemon in the aquarium bar. The Captain had sent Aika to go and play with Momonosuke so she wouldn't hear their discussion. What's more, Law was currently working in the sickbay, treating an injury Jupiter had sustained in a recent battle so he wouldn't pick up on their talk either.

"Ok, everyone." Luffy began. "This is probably more of a personal matter but I think it needs to be brought up. We've all bonded with Aika, right?"

"Of course." Nami replied. "What of it?"

"Well while we've all grown attached to her the only one who hasn't is Traffy."

"Law doesn't like Aika?" Usopp asked.

"I don't know. I just noticed this morning that he turned Aika away when she asked him to play with her. He seemed pretty sour about it."

"But what reason could he have to dislike her? He was the one who told us she was your sister." Robin debated.

"Yeah and he saved her life when she got appendicitis." Chopper added.

"And if I recall he brainwashed that marine who planned to kill the girl." Kinemon spoke up. "Surely he wouldn't perform such acts if he cared nothing for her.

"That's right. And that's why I want to find out what's going on." Luffy said. "I want to try and get Traffy to bond with Aika."

"Luffy, is that really necessary?" Zoro asked. "I mean we all like her so what's one person matter?"

"Well like I said, he does care about her but won't admit it so I want to help him out. He's my friend and besides we're an alliance now so he needs to be on common ground with the whole crew and that includes Aika."

"Wow. One of the rare cases of you acting like a real Captain." Sanji commented.

"Hey!"

"I get what you're saying, Luffy." Nami said. "But how exactly do you plan on pulling this off?"

"Well how about we try and get him involved in some of Aika's favourite activities? He's bound to find one to enjoy." Luffy suggested. "I know this may not seem important to you guys but Aika sees Traffy as a friend too and I don't want her thinking she's to blame for him not liking her."

"No we understand, Luffy. Aika's happiness is important to us all." Brook said.

"Yeah! We'll find a way to get that grumpy clam to open up to her." said Franky.

"Thanks, guys. That means a lot to me. And it will to Aika too." Luffy grinned.

XXX

"And this time the rope is soaked with seawater so chew that and you're gonna hurt yourself." Law warned as tossed an old rope that was nearly chewed through over his shoulder as he left the store room.

"You're the devil, Trafalgar!" Caesar cursed. "I swear I'll get you for this!"

"You won't get anything but what you deserve, which is nothing." Law replied as he locked the door. But as he stepped outside he found Luffy and Aika standing before him.

"What?" he asked.

"I need to run a few errands. Would you mind giving Aika some company?" Luffy asked. Law glanced form him to Aika who smiled at him sweetly. He sneered inwardly.

"If it'll get you off my back then fine." he begrudgingly agreed. Luffy patted his shoulder thankfully before taking his leave. "So whaddya want?"

"How about painting?" Aika asked holding up a set of the suggested art tools she'd gotten from Usopp along with some paper. Law sighed.

"I'm not exactly an artist, just so you know."

"That's ok, you don't need to be a professional to enjoy painting." Aika smiled handing him a set of paints and a brush before going to set up the paper on the stands she'd brought. Law begrudgingly followed her to set up his own pallet. He glanced at Aika who was painting a picture of the Sunny and her crew. With no ideas in mind, Law began to paint as well as his mind began to wander until his eyes suddenly widened as a thought passed through his head.

_The memory was blurred with age but Law could see what appeared to be another girl, about Aika's age, painting a picture of her own. She turned around and smiled at him._

_"What do you think, Law? Do you like it?" she asked before Law saw his hand, though it was much smaller, reach out and pet her affectionately._

"Traffy? I asked what do you think." the Captain suddenly snapped out of his daze as he noticed Aika blinking at him, her painting finished.

"Oh, yeah it's fine." he muttered still recovering from the daydream before he jumped when his eyes returned to his own canvas which now beheld the image of a burning building, a pile of bodies lying before it and some of them looked familiar to him and upon closer inspection he almost bit his lip at who they were. Aika happened to see the painting too and gasped.

"Um...it's uh...it's..." she tried to come up with a response that wouldn't sound hurtful but her sentence was cut off by Law taking his painting and tearing it up. "Hey! Wh-what are you?"

"This was a mistake. Think nothing of it." he said before walking away leaving Aika confused and a little concerned after seeing the macabre he'd painted without seemingly knowing.

XXX

A couple of hours passed by when Luffy came to check on Aika.

"Hey, how did the painting go?" he asked before noticing his little sister seemed a bit down. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I mean we both started painting but then I noticed Traffy seemed like he was in a daze. But when I got his attention after finishing my painting he seemed shocked at what he'd painted himself. It was some scary picture of a burning house with a pile of people in front of it. He tore it up as soon as he saw it and then left. He looked like he'd had a nightmare."

"Well uh...that's unusual." Luffy answered a little disturbed. "Maybe painting isn't his thing. I know! Why don't you ask him to play doctor with you and Chopper?"

"Hey that's a great idea! He's a doctor too so I'm sure he'd be more comfortable with that." Aika agreed. "Thanks, Luffy." she said before running off to find Chopper.

XXX

Law was taking watch from the front of the ship, Jupiter sitting beside him as eh scratched his ears when he felt a small hand tug at his trouser leg. He looked to see Aika, along with Chopper holding his medical bag. Law sighed

"Yes?" he asked.

"I wondered if you'd play doctor with me and Chopper. I realise you weren't into painting but since you're a doctor I thought you might enjoy this game more." Aika suggested. Law glanced at Jupiter who had his brows raised in surprise before he answered.

"Can't you just play with Tony-ya? What do you need me for?"

"You seemed upset after the painting so I thought playing patient would cheer you up a bit, maybe. Please~?" Law looked at her and while he was far from eager to play, he wasn't about to just shoot the poor kid down like a duck.

"Alright you win." he mumbled as he went to join them. "So how do you play this? Do I chop you up with my shambles?" he grinned wickedly.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Chopper squawked in bug-eyed terror.

"I was joking, jeez. Keep your fur on." Law snorted though Aika was giggling.

"It's like a check-up. You'd use your stethoscope, thermometer, that squeezy thingy with the rubber ball on the end."

"A sphygmomanometer. And this just sounds like a normal check-up. What part of it's a game?"

"...Well you could put a cast on my leg or a sling on my arm so I pretend I've broken something. Or you could use a stretcher to carry one of us. Or I could put bandages on you."

"Just watch us, Traffy, you'll get it." Chopper assured before he went over to Aika who sat on the lawn. "What seems to be the problem, Miss Aika."

"I don't know, Dr Chopper. I've just been feeling strange lately." Aika said, her voice dressed in fake worry.

"Well let's check you over and see if we can find anything wrong." Chopper smiled confidently with his hands behind his back before opening his bag and taking out a depressor and doctor's light. "Say 'aah'."

"AAAHHHHH~!" Aika exaggeratedly opened her gob and stuck her tongue out, trying not to laugh, as Chopper held her tongue down with the depressor and shone the torch in her mouth.

"Well you're throat looks fine. Let's check your temperature." he said as he switched his tools. He picked out a thermometer and placed it in Aika's mouth, before removing an reading it after about five seconds. "Nope you don't have a fever or chill. Let's move onto your blood pressure." he pulled out the required instrument and attached it to Aika's arm before he began to squeeze the rubber ball on the end to check her pressure.

"So how is it, Dr?" Aika asked.

"You're perfectly healthy. Nothing to worry about, Aika. You've been a great patient." Chopper grinned.

"Thank you, Dr I feel much better now." Aika beamed as she gave the reindeer a thankful hug.

"Oh but wait. We haven't checked your heart beat yet." Chopper remembered. "Perhaps Dr Trafalgar can cover this shift, as I'm now on break." he said before he took his leave before Law could say anything as Aika handed him a stethoscope. He sighed before taking the tool and placing it in his ears.

"Could you lift your shirt a bit please, Miss Aika?" he asked in a professional manner. She nodded before showing her tummy as he placed the stethoscope on her chest which made her squeak.

"It's cold~!" she laughed at the feeling of the icy metal on her tummy, but as law looked upon her adorable face and the sound of her laughter he felt his mind drifting again, this time stronger.

_The blurry image of the little brunette girl came into view once more and she was in a similar position as Aika with her shirt up as Law reached out with a stethoscope and pressed it to her tummy making her giggle loudly._

_"Big brother it tickles~!" she laughed._

_"Oh really~?" he asked slyly before he began to jab her all over her stomach with the stethoscope making her laugh even harder._

_"Alright let's see how you like it!" she cackled, wrestling the tool form him and pressing it on his won stomach earning cold yelps from him too as they both found themselves laughing soon after their little battle._

_"When I become a doctor, if one of the children I care for is scared on their first checkup, I'm gonna do this to cheer them up, every time." Law grinned._

_"What else should they expect from my bighearted brother?" the little girl grinned back. "But I'm gonna be an even better doctor!"_

_"It's not a competition, Lami." Law said before he smiled "But I think I'll make an exception this time." the girl, now known as Lami, smiled back at him._

"Traffy? Hello~?" Law shook his head as he found Aika staring at him. "You spaced out again. Are you ok?" Law put the stethoscope down and stood up.

"I...I think I've had enough of this game."

"But you've barely started."

"Too bad. Game's over." Law dismissed as he walked away. Aika watched him go and couldn't help but sniff a little. Why was he pushing her away so much? What had she done wrong? From the kitchen door, Luffy and Chopper were watching.

"This isn't good, Luffy, we're losing him. If this keeps up, Aika's gonna blame herself." Chopper said concerned.

"Well I won't let that happen. I'm not done yet." Luffy said. "I've got one more idea."

"Well you best hope it works." Chopper muttered.

XXX

It was now late afternoon and the sun was beginning to set in prep for the evening. The ship had reached its latest island which turned out to be a winter one and Aika was ecstatic to play in the snow which gave Luffy the golden opportunity for his plan.

"Hey does someone want to go play in the snow~?" he asked his little sister who grinned. he returned the expression and picked her up, placing her on his shoulders. "Hey Traffy~! Feel up for a snowman building contest?"

"I don't build snowmen." Law replied.

"Oh what's the matter? Chicken?" Law's eye twitched at the remark.

"Petty insults will get you nowhere, Straw Hat-ya."

"Oh I get it. You don't think you can beat Luffy cause you're too scared to lose to an idiot." Usopp smirked, seeing Luffy's plan. "Well everyone has a fear."

"Are you seriously accusing me of that?!"

"I dunno. You tell me." Law glared at the sniper and noticed the rest of the crew were looking as well. Even Caesar poked his head through the storage room door's window to jeer at him.

"Trafalgar is scared of losing to this rubber ape in snow sculpting?! SHULOLOLOLOLO! OH THAT'S RICH! Wait til Doffy hears about this!" Law responded by flicking his finger upward causing a rock to smash Caesar in the face, knocking him out.

"Fine I'll do it! Let's get this over with." he huffed as he barged passed Luffy and Aika before they followed after him, though the latter didn't seem to enthusiastic.

XXX

The three of them trudged through the snow until they were about half a mile away from the ship, when all of a sudden Luffy stopped and slapped himself on the head.

"Oh my gosh!"

"**What?!**" Law and Aika asked in surprise.

"I can't believe I forgot my hat! You can't have a snowman without one and I'll never be Traffy since he remembered his. I better go back and get it. You two stay here and have fun til I get back."

"I can come with you, Big brother." Aika suggested not feeling too keen about staying with Law for the chance of a third failed play-date.

"No-no you stay here. You wouldn't wanna waste your snow time walking back and forth with me. You have fun, I'll catch up. Be right back!" Luffy grinned as he sauntered off, taking quite his sweet time I might add. Aika and Law stood in awkward silence as the former kicked some snow to distract herself before Law sighed.

"If you want to play in the snow go ahead I'm not stopping you."

"Are you sure?"

"Does this look unsure to you?"

"No?"

"Then knock yourself out. I'll be right here." Law reassured as he sat down in the snow while Aika padded around for a bit before morphing into a wolf and diving in and out of the snow, laughing all the way.

XXX

Law was sitting cross legged on the snowy ground , his eyes closed. It had been about twenty minutes since Luffy had left and he was getting impatient. The supernova stood up and sighed irritably.

"I don't think your brother's coming, kid. We should head back." he said as he looked around for Aika but couldn't see her. He wandered around the area, searching for her, when all of a sudden she burst out form a mound of snow in front of him.

"BOO!" Law actually stumbled back in surprise as the little girl began to laugh, her face covered in snow powder. "GOTCHA! Shishishishishi!" she giggled as Law stared at her snow white face as his eyes began to widen in horror, another memory advancing on him.

_He could see Lami again, only this time her skin had lost its peachy glow and almost every inch of it was covered in snowy white blotches and every so often she'd let out a pained cough._

_"It's ok. Just take deep breaths." Law said as he rubbed her back in an attempt to soothe her. he himself was also snowy white stains._

_"Law? Are we going to die?" Lami asked, her face full of fright. Law bit his lip before he hugged his little sister._

_"No. We won't die. Dad's been working on a cure for months now. He's the greatest doctor on the island, maybe even one of the best in the world. He'll figure it out I know it." gunshot suddenly sounded from within the building they were in._

_"What was that?" Lami whispered as Law gritted his teeth before gathering her up and hurrying to another room and placing her in a wardrobe._

_"Don't worry. I'll be right back. I'm gonna get Dad and Mum."_

_"But why do I have to hide?"_

_"There are bad people on the island. I need you to hide so they don't find you. Once I get our parents we'll escape." Law said before he kissed Lami on the forehead. "I'll come back for you, I promise. We still don't know who's gonna be the greatest doctor." he grinned. Lami's fear seemed to vanish as she smiled and kissed Law on the cheek._

_"I love you, Big Brother."_

_"And I love you too, Little Sister." Law smiled as they hugged before he closed the wardrobe and hurried out of the building to where he'd heard the shots...but he wished he hadn't as lying before him were the dead bodies of his Mother and Father, shot through the back. The young boy could barely breathe and he was about to scream when he heard footsteps and hid behind a crate as a battalion of men in gas masks ran passed him._

_"This area's been purged. Onto the next one." One said as they passed. Law waited until they were gone when he remembered. The local nun from the school had been preparing to evacuate the children, including him and Lami. She was the only one who could help now. He hurried to the school only to find to his horror that she too was dead...along with his classmates, all of them stacked in a bloody pile. He vomited and choked on his sobs, using all of his strength to hold together._

_"I have to get Lami out of here. We have to escape." he whimpered as eh turned around and ran back to the hospital she was in as fast as he could...until he came to a sudden stop and fell to his knees. The hospital...was engulfed in flames and burning to the ground. He stared, unable to comprehend what he was seeing._

_"...Lami...Lami we have to go...We have to get out of here..." he muttered. "We...we have to find out which of us will be the greatest...school's tomorrow, we can't be late...the-the parade's coming up soon so we can't miss it...we...we..." he lost his voice as tears streamed down his face and his words were soon replaced with ragged horrified, broken sobs as he screamed at the heavens._

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUGHHHH!"** Law screamed as he fell backwards into the snow as Aika looked puzzled.  
_  
_"Wow I know I said 'boo' but it shouldn't have been that scary." she muttered as she looked at law who was panting heavily and staring at her. She blinked and began to walk towards him only for him to crawl back away form her, refusing to take his eyes off her.

"Traffy? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Stop it." he whispered.

"Traffy..."

"Stop it!"

"Law!"

"I SAID STOP!" Law shouted as he swatted the air and unintentionally pushed her back with his room. Aika picked herself and looked at him, her face full of hurt and confusion.

"...I don't understand." she whimpered. "Why do you dislike me? What did I do?"

"EVERYTHING! Always smiling and laughing! Being doted on by Straw Hat-ya! It pisses me off!"

"B-But you were the one who told them he was my brother int he first place. And you saved my life from appendicitis. Why would you do that if you didn't like me?"

"Well it doesn't matter. After all this, I wish I hadn't told them. In fact, I hadn't met you at all!" Aika gasped in shock at what he'd said before she began to cry a mixture of sad and angry tears.

"...I thought...I honestly thought you were good. Some may have called you 'cold' or a 'psycho' but I didn't believe them, because I thought...under that cold exterior you were kind and caring, with a big heart like you named your crew after...My Mum always taught me there was good in everyone, but, oh, you proved me wrong!" Aika spat. "You're just a BIG! DUMB! **MEANIE!**" she screamed. "I wish Big Brother had never teamed up with you! I thought you were my friend but now I wouldn't let you if you begged me!"

"AH-OH-EEE-UH-FINE BY ME!" Law said breaking his feigned remorse.

"YOU SUCK!" Aika shouted throwing a snowball at him which he effortlessly warped with him room before she ran off in tears. When she was sure she was out of his sight she stopped and sobbed. "Why? What did I do to make him so angry? Why does he keep looking at me like I'm a nightmare?" she wiped her eyes despite the tears continuing to flow. But then, out of some nearby bushes, a pair of arms grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth and pulled her away.

XXX

Law stood alone in the snow, his mind jumbled with too many mixed feelings to process. But after some deep thoughts he sighed.

"What the hell's wrong with me? It's not the kid's fault, Law, you idiot!" he mentally slapped himself. "I better go apologise." he concluded as he started following her footprints until he suddenly came across a drag in the snow where her prints stopped abruptly. His eyes narrowed as he looked over the bush the drag had gone through to see a large cluster of bigger footprints leading to the west side of the island. The situation was obvious as he began to follow the trail as fast as he could until he was led over and hill and got a clear view of the coast before he saw it: a small group of marines were heading towards a nearby vessel which seemed to be of a much lower standard than what they were used to battling and in one of their arms was a bound and gagged Aika who was trying desperately to squirm out of their grip. Oddly enough though, there didn't seem to be a vice admiral present.

"What is this?" Law asked. "Only the megalomaniac psychopath, Akainu knows about Aika's heritage. Aside from him that only leaves...Auguste. Oh shit." he cursed as he began to make his way towards the ship.

XXX

Inside, Aika was thrown roughly into a holding cell after her binds were undone. She pulled the gag form her mouth before barking,

"Who are you?! Why'd you kidnap me?! When my Big brother finds me missing you'll be sorry!"

"SHUT UP YOU LITTLE SHIT!" one marine shouted kicking the bars of her cell which sent her scuttling back against the wall. "No one's coming for you and and by the time they do this ship will be long gone and you'll be on your way to HQ and then the chopping block! We're not stupid enough to challenge Straw Hat. not after what he did to our Boss." Aika's eyes widened.

"That's right. We're what remains of Vice Admiral Auguste's battalion." another marine confirmed Aika's thoughts. "We don't know how it happened but our Boss's memory of you, us and even himself was wiped form his mind. And as you can imagine, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki didn't take to his ultimate failure of capturing you lightly. Our Boss was court-martialed and dismissed in disgrace. We were forced to watch as he left, feeling no shame whatsoever as he'd forgotten his life up to the moment we found him after his fight! Well we're going to avenge him by handing you over to our Fleet Admiral ourselves and when we do, he'll be sure to allow our Boss back in." Aika trembled as she sat in her cell. She was scared, but she didn't feel helpless. Somehow she knew this wasn't the end. And upon hearing a sudden cry from above deck, she was right. The marines outside her cell tensed when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs to their location and gasped when they saw none other than Law standing at the end of the hallway, holding the severed, but still alive, head of one of their comrades.

"Trafalgar Law!" one of the marines said in shock.

"TRAFFY!" Aika cheered.

"What do you think you're doing, Trafalgar?! You're a warlord aren't you?! You wanna end up on our wanted list again?!" Law didn't even answer the marine as he tossed the head in his hand before blotting it towards the group like a ball as one marine caught the flying head and both screamed.

"This isn't funny, Trafalgar! If you're here to help quit fooling arou-"

"Shut up!" Law snapped silencing the fools. "I'm here for the kid."

"Watch your tongue! You work for us so this girl's going to HQ to be executed!"

"I work...for no one." Law said, his voice cutting the tension like a scalpel. "Now unless you wanna end up like him," he glanced at the head which was now out cold and foaming at the mouth from shock, "You'll give me the girl." he took a step forward which made the marines jump. One, looking desperate, opened Aika's cell and pulled her out before jamming his gun to her head.

"Get on the ground or I blow her brains out!" Law laughed with mocking amusement.

"You should see the look on your face, fool. that's the face of a man who's out of luck and options, clawing at his last desperate attempt, but knowing full well that he's doomed. You're as pathetic as Auguste was."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I'LL KILL HER! I know the Fleet Admiral would prefer to do it himself but he'll be happy with the results nonetheless!"

"Honestly I despise people like Auguste. Hunting down poor innocent children like her under the bullshit ideals of Akainu that those born from 'bad people' are bad themselves even when they never knew their parents. Although, Auguste may have a second chance at a more admirable life. I mean, after all...I was the one who lobotomized him. The battalion gasped in shock. "After Straw Hat-ya beat the shit out of him, I sliced up his brain so he'd forget everything; Aika, you lot, himself. but I never would've guessed you'd come back with a second wind. Most impressive." he sarcastically applauded. The marines were shaking violently by this point. "Now, for the last time. Give, the child, to me." he ordered as he drew closer. The marine holding Aika at gunpoint trembled before he let out a cry of rage and pulled the trigger as Aika screamed in terror.

**Click.** The man looked confused as he opened his gun only to find the bullets gone. He gabbed a gun from his comrade and tried to shoot Aika again: same result. The marines all tied shooting her only to receive in clicks too before they checked their weapons only to find all their bullets mysteriously gone. Law cleared his throat.

"Looking for these?" he held up a floating ball of bullets. "You've been inside my room the entire time. A quick scan and every bullet on this boat is now floating in the palm of my hand." The marines looked at him wearing twisted expressions of confused angry fear. "I wanted to see if you lot would actually go through with attempting to kill her. Most of the time these hostage things are just desperate lies, but you really intended to shoot her." he then looked at them with a piercing glare. "And for that, you will pay. Shambles." **Pew!-Pew Pew Pew!-Pew Pew! **The marines fell to the floor screaming in agony as their legs were now perforated with their own ammo. Aika stood among them for a moment before she ran to Law and hid behind him clutching his pants leg. She looked up at him as he returned her gaze and pet her head gently.

"Let's go." he said as they turned around and began to leave when a sinister chuckle reached their ears.

"You'll never escape us, girl." the lead marine said. "You're heritage may be secret among us and Sakazuki but not for much longer. We'll tell the entire Marines, the entire Government about you! And then the world will be after you just like that hell spawn Nico Robin! Let's see you evade us for twenty years! But once the world knows you'll have nowhere to hide. We will get you, you little demon and WE'LL KI-" **SLASH! **The miserable man was silenced as law cut his tongue out (shambled of course) as Aika stared at the marines in fear.

"It's alright." she looked at Law who was smiling at her. "They're not going to tell anyone, I promise you that. Now let's go home." Aika nodded as Law picked her up and left the ship before he flexed his finger behind his back when they were out of range. The gesture caused one of the bullets to fly into the ships gunpowder stash, which the marines watched in horror before.

**KABOOM!**

The ship went up in a ball of flames and smoke as Law didn't look back and neither did Aika who needed no explanation for the cause.

XXX

Dusk had fallen and the stars were beginning to come out as Law and Aika quietly walked back across the island towards the Sunny, the pair remaining in awkward silence. Law glanced at Aika who was twiddling her fingers, not sure what to say before she spoke.

"Thanks. For saving me." she said.

"Yeah. You're welcome." Law replied as they tried to avoid eye contact. It wasn't exactly easy to converse since they were in a heated argument not long ago. But at that moment something blue and glowing came floating passed them. It hovered in the air for a moment before landing on a flower, revealing itself to be a firefly. More soon joined it as the little beetles fluttered around the area signaling one another with their blue glow. A few landed on Law's cap while one landed on Aika's nose who giggled before sneezing. Entranced by the insects, she morphed into a wolf and began to bound around after them, switching back and forth between her forms as she tried to catch them. Law sat himself down on a nearby log as he watched her play until she eventually joined him after about half an hour. She sat beside him for a while before she threw caution tot he wind and said,

"Law?" he looked at her when he said his name. "Why did you keep pushing me away?" the man tensed, even though he knew she would ask him he didn't want to hear it.

"Because you're a nuisance."

"Liar." Aika saw right through him. "Please. I need to know. You may act like you don't care about me but I know you do. It's because of you that i have a family again after the marines took it all away from me! Even if you said you did it so it wouldn't distract you from the mission, there has to be another reason for why you told the others about my relation to Luffy. So please, why is it you can't stand being around me like this?"

"You really wanna know? You won't like the answer."

"I don't care if I like it or not."

"...Ok, I'll tell you." he said. "The reason I told the crew about you. The reason I even compared your DNA with Straw Hat-ya's to confirm my suspicions...was because he's not the only one who knows what it means to be a Big Brother." Aika gasped. "A long time ago, when I was only eight, I had a little sister of my very own. Her name was Lami." he said as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a gold locket which had his parents on one inner side and Lami on the other.

"She looks so happy." Aika whispered as she looked at the picture.

"Yes. She was." Law murmured solemnly. "She was always so full of life. Always following me around like a kitten, wanting to spend time with me, the annual parade was her favourite. We both wanted to be doctors like our parents as well...and I loved her, so very much." he said with his hand over his eyes as Aika looked at him with deep concern. "But then, an epidemic swept our island. We were a prosperous country because we mined a beautiful silver stone called amber lead that made our island rich. But what we didn't know was that the stone was poisonous and direct contact with it spread a deadly disease named Amber lead Syndrome." he gritted his teeth in anger. "But the thing was, that bastard corrupt government and those soulless Dragons found out about the disease before we were infected by it, but the greedy worms chose not to tell us so they could line their fat asses with the money it made. Every single one of us was infected by it, including me, my parents...and Lami too." Aika was trembling by this point.

"B-But, your parent's must have found a cure right?"

"I believe they could have. But things only got worse when the government came under the mad impression that the syndrome was contagious even though it wasn't so they spread the rumor like the disease itself which cause all neighbouring islands to cut us off so my parents couldn't get supplies for their research in finding a cure. Citizens died left and right like flies, it was Hell on Earth. But just when it couldn't get any worse, the Government decided to quarantine our island...and wipe us out completely." Aika felt tears sting her eyes as the mental pictures poured into her mind's eye. "One night, I was caring for Lami who was only getting worse when I heard shots. I knew what was happening so I hid her and went to find our parents so we could escape...only to find them both shot dead by the Government. I then tried to find the local Nun who ran the school. She'd been planning to evacuate all the children including Lami and myself. But I found her dead too, along with all my friends." Law choked as he fought back a sob. "I knew all I could do now was grab my sister and run...but...but by the time I got back...the hospital she was in was in flames...and she was gone...forever." Aika began to cry as she wiped her eyes. "I only survived the disease because I got my devil fruit power a year after I escaped. So, when I saw you and Straw Hat-ya playing together, I could tell right away that the bond you two shared wasn't friendship alone, even though you were both unaware of your relation. having been a brother myself, I know a sibling bond when I see it, so I compared your DNA and found, to my suspicions, that I was right." Aika stared at him as he'd began to lose the strength to fight his tears which were about to escape. "When I see you two together, I see my own past and when I see you...you remind me so much of Lami. You're just like her." he was now crying as he chewed his lip. "But you know what hurts me the most of all? If I hadn't told her to hide, if I'd just brought her with me...we could've escaped together...and I...I could have saved her when I got my powers...She'd still be alive if I hadn't! Left her! Alone!" he punched his knee in anguish as the tears flowed faster. "She's dead...BECAUSE OF ME!" Aika couldn't take it anymore as she ran at law and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.

"It wasn't your fault!" she sobbed. "The Government did it all. They took your life, just like they did mine. They're the ones who killed Lami, not you! I'm sorry. You're not a big dumb meanie. You're like me. You went through so much undeserved pain and suffering. I can't imagine how it feels to see someone have what you once had so often. I'm sorry me and Luffy reminded you of what you lost." she let go of him and took a couple steps back so he could see her in full. "But, you don't have to suffer anymore. You have a crew of friends who respect you, and you may not admit it, but you have all of us now too. We're not just allies; the Straw Hat's are your friends too...And...you have me." Law looked confused. "All I know now from what you've told me, is that you were a wonderful Big Brother to Lami. You loved her to the very end, and someone with a heart as big as yours shouldn't let it go to waste."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying...can I be your secret Little Sister?" Law's jaw dropped as Aika blushed. "I know you have your cool, macho reputation. So, if you like, we can be secret siblings. When you're left to look after me, we'll have fun like you used to with Lami, and I'll spend as much time as I can with you. Even when our alliance ends I'll send you letters and call your snail so you wont' ever have to feel unloved again. Lami would want for you to love and feel loved again so...can I be the one to do it?" Law stared at her, absolutely astonished at what she'd just said. They stood in silence for a few long seconds before he smirked and wiped his eyes.

"You're as crazy as your brother." he grinned, as Aika's face split into a huge smile and she ran to embrace him again, only he returned the hug, a few tears escaping his eyes again but of joy this time.

"I love you, secret Big Brother." Aika said as she pecked his cheek.

"I love you too...secret Little Sister." Law smiled back.

"So should we get back to the ship? The others are probably worried." Aika said.

"What's the hurry? The dusk is still young, and it looked like you were having fun chasing those fireflies. Time flies when you have fun after all." Law grinned as Aika got his plan and grinned back.

"Tag! You're it!" she laughed as she ran off through the snow, before Law appeared in front of her and tagged her back. "Hey that's cheating! No rooms, Big Brother."

"Pirates don't follow rules." Law chuckled as Aika pursued him, the two enjoying their newfound bond together as the fireflies glittered around them, the night as young as it was meaningful.

The End


	26. Aika's Big Date

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Blizzard, Aika and Kumi belong to**

* * *

**When Aika feels she may never have a friend her age she meets a young boy with the same powers as her and the two soon grow close, but is their something more sinister behind their bonding?**

**Aika's Big Date**

* * *

"Alright everyone, like we always do. Robin, Brook and I will get whatever new clothes we need. And Brook if you even ask I will break your jaw."

"AIEEEEEEE SO CRUEL~!"

"Franky, Usopp and Zoro go get ship supplies. Sanji and Blizzard will handle food and Chopper you get all the medicine and herbs you need."

"What about us, Nami?" Luffy asked as the crew stood at the entrance of the latest town they'd sailed to.

"Well there's a really good park on this island so you take Aika and Kumi and have fun." Nami smiled.

"**YAY!**" the D siblings cheered as Luffy put Aika on his shoulders. "Come on, Kumi, race ya there!" **Yip-yip!** The puppy barked as they took off for the park.

"And there they go." Usopp said.

"Two peas in a pod they are." Zoro smiled.

"There's nothing like a family bond." Brook sang.

"Well no time like the present. Let's go." Nami said as the crew got to work.

XXX

"Well here we are, Aika." Luffy said as he put her down upon arriving at the park. There was all sorts of equipment to enjoy and plenty of other children for Aika to play with.

"Now you go have fun. I'll be right here." Luffy pet her as he sat down on one of the benches. Aika grinned at him before she ran off to the play area with Kumi trotting after her.

"So what do you wanna play first?" Aika asked.

"_How 'bout the slide?_" Kumi suggested.

"Ok let's go." Aika said as the two went over to the big twisty slide in the middle of the park. They climbed up the steps to the mouth of the slide as Aika set Kumi in her lap. "Ready? One, two, three!" with that the two went speeding down the slide with the wind int heir hair/fur.

"**Wheeeeeeee~!**" they laughed until they reached the bottom.

"Let's go again!" Aika grinned before someone called out to her.

"Hi." she and Kumi looked to see a group of children approaching them.

"Hello." Aika smiled.

"Your puppy's really cute." a little girl said petting Kumi.

'Thank you her name's Kumi. I'm Aika."

"You new here? We haven't seen you here before." A boy asked.

"Oh I'm traveling with my family." Aika explained.

"Cool! You wanna play catch with us?" another of the kids asked.

"I'd love to!" Aika beamed as she ran to join them, Kumi smiling that her master may have found some friends. One of the kids held up a bright red ball before tossing it forward as the children began to pass it between themselves. But as the ball was thrown to Aika it went a little too high and over her head, bouncing into the bushes as it did so.

"Whoops I'll get it!" Aika said as she chased after the ball and crawled through the bush to get it. She noticed it was tucked under a cluster of branches and she couldn't reach it with her hands. So instead she transformed into her wolf form and squeezed her head through the branches to grab the ball with her mouth.

"Did you find the ball, Aika?!" one of the kids called to her as she turned around and scampered out of the bush, still in her wolf form but as soon as she was in view the kids gasped when they saw her before one of the girls screamed.

"A wolf! And it has Aika's dress on its back!"

"The wolf ate Aika!" one of the boys panicked as the kids began clamoring in terror.

"No it's ok, kids! Aika's not eaten, she's the wolf. She has powers." Luffy explained as the kids looked at her new form...only to panic even more.

"WEREWOLF!"

"Don't let her bite you or you'll become one too!"

"RUN!" the children screamed as they ran away from Aika in fear. The little girl could only look on as the ball fell from her mouth in shock. Luffy and Kumi also watched the scene unfold, equally stunned before they noticed Aika sniffling as tears welled up in her eyes before she turned and ran off into the woods with a howl.

"_Aika, wait!_" Kumi ran after her as Luffy watched with great sadness.

"_Even now, she's still mistreated for who she is._" he thought before he got up to go find and comfort his sister.

XXX

Aika ran as fast as she could through the forest, crying tears of angry sadness. She'd thought she was over the bullying she'd experienced at Punk Hazard but this cruel reminder of her powers had said otherwise. She ran and ran, not looking back once until she reached a small lake in the middle of the woods where she stopped to catch her breath. Upon regaining her posture, she looked to see her own lupine reflection staring back at her. At first she didn't react at all but then a disgusted glare crossed her face before she slashed at her reflection angrily, shattering it into ripples as she changed back into a human.

"I hate you! All you've ever done is make me miserable! You scare other children away and you can't fit in with other wolves cause I'm human!...Or am I? Too wolf to make human friends; too human to make wolf friends. I'm just...an outcast." she murmured soullessly as she sat on the bank of the pond and began to cry. But as she sat there she heard a rustling noise and looked to see a young boy about her age come out of a nearby bush. He had red hair, a dark blue Doskoi Panda shirt, pine green pants, and for some reason he had bandages wrapped around his wrists and one on his leg. He let out a sigh as he trudged across the grass to the pond and sat down, not noticing Aika a few feet away who was looking at him.

"Um...hello?" she asked which made him turn his head in surprise.

"Oh, hello. I didn't see you there." he said with a friendly smile. "People don't tend to come here so it's my secret spot. Not so secret anymore though, hehe." he chuckled until he noticed the sad look on Aika's face. "Are you okay? You look like you've been crying." Aika jumped before she vigorously rubbed her eyes.

"I've not been crying and I'm fine!" she snapped.

"It's alright. You don't have to tell me anything." the boy said calmly. "Though I was always taught it's good to let bad feelings out." Aika looked at him before she sighed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I've just had a bad day."

"Do you need someone to talk to? I'm more than happy to listen if it helps. What's your name? I bet it's as pretty as your face." he smiled which caused Aika to blush at his compliment before she returned the smile, starting to feel better.

"It's Aika."

"I knew it." the boy grinned. "Just as pretty if not more so." Aika giggled.

"You sound like my Uncle Sanji. What's your name?"

"Shigure."

"Nice to meet you." Aika said as she shuffled over to him to shake his hand.

"So what's got you so upset, Aika? If you don't mind me asking?" Shigure asked. Aika's smile quickly fell as she remembered before she answered.

"All the other children are scared of me. Because I have devil fruit powers. I thought I'd accepted my abilities but honestly, I hate them. I don't even know if I'm really a human anymore because of them."

"Seriously? What kind of powers do you have?" Shigure asked.

"Zoan type." the boy raised his eyebrows curiously.

"Well let's see."

"No. You'll probably run away too."

"I won't run away. I promise I won't. I'm sure whatever animal you become it won't scare me. Trust me." Aika looked at him before she took a deep breath.

"Ok. But can you close your eyes while a I transform?"

"If it'll make you more comfortable sure." he said covering his eyes as Aika changed form.

"Ok, look." Shigure uncovered his eyes and saw Aika in her wolf form. "Well, this is it. I'm a wolf zoan type. All the other kids think I'm a werewolf and find me scary. Can't say I blame them. And now I bet you're scared too. So run if you want to." Shigure stared at her for a few long seconds before he snerked and then began to laugh.

"What?! Do you find me stupid rather than scary?!" the boy didn't reply but instead...he began to grow fur which shocked Aika as he began to transform before standing in front of her was a wolf cub the same size as her. "You...you..."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing at you. I was laughing at the coincidence. I don't see why those kids would be afraid of you for being so cute." Aika went a little pink.

"So you're a zoan type too?"

"Yup. I ate the red wolf variety of the mutt-mutt fruit. I may not be able to swim anymore but who cares if it means being fast, fluffy and having heightened senses? Those kids should be jealous not scared. And if you're not human for having zoan powers, then neither am I."

"But you are human."

"Then so are you. I think you make a great human and an even greater wolf cause you're a Honshu. They're extinct form what I've heard."

"You're really not scared of me?"

"Even if I were it shouldn't matter to you. As long as you have people who care and accept you for who you are, forget what others think cause they're wrong. You do have people who accept you, don't you?" Aika smiled.

"Yes. Yes I do. I have lots of people who love me just the way I am." she said as she padded over to Shigure and gave him a little lick on the cheek which made him blush. "Thank you. For listening to me and cheering me up." the boy chuckled bashfully.

"You're a really sweet girl. I like you, Aika." the girl gasped silently as she turned a bit pink again while smiling shyly.

"I-I like you too, Shigure."

"Aika~! Aika where are you~?!"

"_Aika~!_" her ears perked up at the sound of Luffy and Kumi who same came wandering out of the bushes to see the two wolf cubs standing by the pond.

"Aika there you are, we've been looking everywhere!" Luffy said before he noticed Shigure. "Aww what a cute little wolf cub. Does he live here?"

"Oh he's not a wolf. Well not exactly. He's a zoan type like me. His name's Shigure. Say hello, Shigure." Aika introduced her friend who was staring in absolute bewilderment at the young man before him.

"M...M-M-MONKEY D LUFFY! Aika come on, we gotta run!" he said as he tried to skedaddle only for Luffy to hold him back.

"WHOA-HO! Slow down there, kid! There's nothin' to be afraid of. I know I'm a pirate but I'm not a bad guy. Hasn't Aika told you about me?"

"You know him, Aika?!"

"Yeah, I'm part of the Straw hat pirates see. Luffy's my big...Captain. I'm his cabin girl." she nodded to Luffy who got the message. "And this is my puppy, Kumi."

"You're a Straw Hat pirate? Unbelievable." Shigure murmured.

"You...you're not scared of me now, are you?" Aika asked worriedly.

"Oh! Oh no, I'm not. I'm sorry for panicking like that, it's juts you're Captain isn't exactly portrayed as a hero by the world government."

"Hey it's alright, champ. I'm used to it." Luffy grinned before he turned to his sister. "hey, Aika. Don't let how those kids behaved get to you."

"It's ok, Luffy. Shigure helped cheer me up. I'm alright now."

"Oh. Well in that case thank you, Shigure. I'm glad Aika's not upset anymore, but we need to get going. Nami called us back."

"Ok. I have to go home now, Shigure. But uh...will I see you again?" she asked.

"Sure you will. I'd love to spend more time with you." he smiled which made Aika beam.

"Great! Then I'll see you tomorrow, at the park."

"Yeah I'll see you there."

"Well bye for now then." Aika waved as she left with Luffy and Kumi, the latter looking at her blushing face puzzlingly.

XXX

Shigure made his way home son after Aika did until he reached a rather shabby looking house, a fearful expression crossing his face as he opened the door and stepped in. The inside wasn't exactly well kept either as the floor was littered with various cans and bottles and pinned across the walls...were many bounty posters. Upon reaching the living room he froze when he saw a middle aged man sitting in a chair polishing a nasty looking rifle. He had a rather muscular build and buzzcut brown hair. He also wore and eyepatch and a large cigar was clamped in his teeth. he glanced up when Shigure entered the room and scoffed.

"About time you got back, brat."

"Sorry, Uncle-"

"HOW MANY TIMES?! You address me as SIR you little crap!"

"SORRY, SIR!" Shigure yelped in terror.

"Just get to your chores." the man identified as Shigure's Uncle muttered but as the boy began to leave the room he stopped him. "Wait! You're hiding something."

"What? I have nothing to hide." the man chuckled mockingly at the boy's bluff.

"You know you can't lie to me, so talk. Or would you rather talk later?" he asked as he removed his cigar from his mouth which made Shigure gasp.

"Ok! I was at the park and I met a girl named Aika."

"Go on." his Uncle said knowing he wasn't through yet.

"She was being bullied earlier so I cheered her up...and then her captain showed up."

"Her captain? You mean she's a pirate."

"I think so." his Uncle hummed curiously as he picked up a mound of bounty posters and began to shuffle through them.

"Who was it?" he asked.

"It was...Monkey D Luffy." his Uncle looked up at him fast.

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"...Very nice." the man grinned as he pulled out Luffy's wanted poster. "Catching this one will make me rich and put me on the bounty hunter map. And you said he had a cabin girl. How close are you to her?" Shigure blushed a little embarrassed.

"Not very close. We just met. She's nice though."

"Nice enough to be your girlfriend I'll bet." Shigure tensed. "So why don't we take advantage of that? You go on back to her tomorrow and win her heart. The closer you get to her means I get closer to Straw Hat. I get the money and you get the honey: We both win. Not bad eh?" Now of course, Shigure was sickened by this. To manipulate a young girl's heart in order to lure her loving captain to his death was unforgivable, even if he was a pirate. But the boy knew full well the penalty for failing to deliver, so he nodded.

"Very good. You know what? Forget those chores. This little find of yours has earned it."

"Th-thank you, Sir." Shigure murmured before he left the room. "_What have I gotten myself into?_"

XXX

The next morning, Aika was very excited to spend the day with her new friend. Naturally, the crew were happy to know that she'd found someone who'd accepted her for who she was.

"Well I think it's adorable that you have a little wolf friend to play with." Nami smiled as Aika was getting ready to go.

"Yeah he's so nice. And such a great listener." Aika beamed which made Nami chuckle.

"I bet he's quite handsome too. Do you think so?" she smirked which made Aika blush.

"H-He's alright I guess. I just met him yesterday."

"Oh relax, I'm just teasing." Nami laughed as she pet Aika. "I'm just glad he helped cheer you up. I can't wait to meet him."

"Sure I'll bring him back to meet you all later." Aika suggested as she headed off with Kumi following her. They eventually reached the park where they found Shigure sitting on the swing set. he smiled when he saw them approaching him.

"Hi, Aika! Hi, Kumi!" he greeted them.

"H-Hi, Shigure." Aika replied shyly while Kumi rolled her eyes. "So what shall we do today?"

"Well we can do anything you feel like, but if I had to recommend, I do like going for runs in the forest sometimes. We could have a race in our wolf forms."

"Hey that's a great idea!" Aika said.

"Ok! Let's race to the pond we met at." Shigure said as he changed into his wolf form which Aika quickly did as well. "Ready? GO!" with that the two sped off into the woods with Kumi hurrying after them. The pair sped through the forest, in and out of trees, over and under bushes and around and in between rocks. Shigure noticed that Aika was getting ahead of him until he hopped onto a branch and used it to propel him forward.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Aika whined.

"Says who?" Shigure laughed as Aika gaped before snorting gruffly and gave chase.

"You're not gonna beat me!" she said as she began to pick up speed just as they breached the clearing and the lake was in sight. But when Shigure thought he'd won, Aika leapfrogged over him and landed at the lake's edge. "I WIN!" she cheered as the boy looked at her in shock before he smiled.

"Way to go! You run like the wind, Aika!"

"Thanks. You're pretty fast yourself." Aika complimented him until they heard panting and looked to see Kumi had caught up with them.

"_You should really take it easy, Aika. I'm supposed to keep an eye on you._" the puppy said.

"It's fine, Kumi. Luffy said he'd keep his haki on so he could locate me. And we know where the others are in town so we'll be ok." Aika explained.

"_Still. We aren't gonna be here for much longer until the log sets so don't get too attached._" Kumi said giving Shigure a look that made him flinch a little.

"Sheesh. I think you're the one who needs to take it easy, Kumi. So, Shigure, why don't you show me around town?"

"Good suggestion, this way." the boy said as he led them out of the forest and off into town.

XXX

The three made their way into the town where Shigure gave them a tour of the local area. They stopped by a few shops including the ice cream parlor where using some money he'd brought, Shigure bought Aika a cookies and cream cone and a melon one for Kumi. needless to say Aika was having the time of her life. But as the three were sitting on a bench enjoying their treats a pair of women came passing by them. One of the adults happened to notice Shigure and beamed.

"Shigure!" the boy looked up when his name was called and eh smiled back.

"Oh! Ms Jane, Ms Carmen, hello." he greeted.

"Aww who's your adorable friend?" Jane asked causing Aika to smile.

"I'm Aika."

"Nice to meet you, Aika. And who's this little one?" the lady asked petting Kumi.

"That's my puppy, Kumi. Who are you ladies?" Aika asked.

"I'm Carmen and this is Jane. We're caretakers from the local foster home." Carmen explained. "It's nice to see that Shigure has made friends and with a sweet girl like you."

"Wait, I'm your first friend?" Aika asked him but he didn't reply as Jane sat beside him.

"It's a good thing we came by when we did because we've been meaning to ask you...have you considered our offer?" she inquired.

"I...I don't know..." Shigure muttered.

"Sweetheart you know you can trust us. You don't have to hide. To think how that monster's been treating you and to such a kind boy." Carmen said with deep concern as she tentatively reached to pet his bandaged arm which he quickly retracted from her.

"I told you, I fell down a hill in the woods and scratched myself up." the women looked at each other knowing they weren't gonna get through to him for now so instead they gave him a loving pet on the head before Jane spoke.

"We may not be related to you, but you do matter to us, Shigure. You're such a good boy and you deserve to be loved. Understand that you'll always have a home with us and we know the other children there would adore you just as much as we do. Please tell us you'll consider our offer." the boy fiddled with his ice cream before he replied.

"I will." the ladies smiled when they heard this before they each gave him a kiss on the cheek which startled him.

"We hope you'll say yes, dear. We really do love you and want you to be happy." Carmen said as they got up from the bench. "Oh and Aika. Thank you."

"What for?" Aika asked, confused.

"For being Shigure's friend. He's often been rather shy so it makes us happy that he's been able to approach someone who accepts him. So thank you." Jane said before the two departed leaving the kids alone.

"Um...you don't need to explain to me if you don't want to." Aika said breaking the silence. "You never forced me so I shouldn't either."

"No. I'll tell you. I'm an orphan you see. I lost my parents when I was ten when a storm sunk their ship. I now live with my Uncle."

"And based on what those ladies said, I take it he's not very nice." Aika assumed as she eyed his bandages. "Do...do they hurt?" Shigure tensed in fear as he clutched the covered spots. "I'm sorry."

"No it's alright. You were just worried about me." Shigure muttered before Aika suddenly hugged him.

"I understand. I know how it feels. I'm an orphan to. My Mother was killed by the world government in a buster call. I lost everything until Luffy found me and made me part of his family. I can tell those nice ladies really care about you. You should give them a chance."

"I know. I love them too and I really want to go with them...but I'm so scared. Scared that my Uncle will come after me and hurt them too. I can't let that happen."

"So you're just going give up and live a life with no friends or family that love you?" Aika asked. "I can't stay here for much longer until the log pose sets and I leave with my crew. but I don't wanna leave knowing you have to back to a place that isn't home. I want you to be happy when I leave. Because I care about you too." Shigure gasped at her caring and even felt his eyes get hot as he held back a couple of tears before he smiled and returned her hug.

"Can i show you one more thing? Before the sun sets?"

XXX

Shigure lead the girls back towards the park until they reached the bottom of a large hill.

"How about one last race. To the top of this hill and the first to howl wins." Shigure explained the game. Aika nodded before they changed into their wolf forms and pressed tot he ground. "Ready? GO!" with that the pair took off up the hill. It took some effort due tot he steepness but the pair soon reached the top and the first thing Aika saw was a clear wide view of the island, painted orange by the setting sun. It was breathtaking and Aika could barely contain her amazement until Shigure gave her a good suggestion on how to let it out.

**AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! **he howled loud and proud which made Aika break into a huge smile before she let out a happy howl of her own.

**AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!** the pair sat down with Kumi perched beside them until Aika spoke after catching her breath.

"I haven't had this much fun in so long! I can't wait to have more fun with you tomorrow!"

"Me too! You know, I'd like to get to know your crew better. Do you think your captain could join us tomorrow?"

"You wanna get to know Luffy? That's great! I know he'd love to spend time with you. Especially if his Little Sister likes him."

"Yeah it only seems right to...wait what did you just say?" Shigure asked. Aika gasped. "Did...did you just call yourself...Luffy's Little Sister?!" Aika face pawed before she sighed.

"I knew I'd let it slip eventually. Ok, the truth is I am the cabin girl of the crew...but I'm also Luffy's half sister. We both share the same Father but had different Mothers. He found me and Kumi on an island called Punk Hazard where he saved us along with a bunch of other kids. Soon after a friend of his ran some tests on our blood and found our relation. We both soon found out ourselves and we couldn't be happier. Luffy's the kindest, strongest, sweetest, gentlest most loving Big Brother I could ever wish for. I love him with all my heart and I'm so lucky to have a family with him and his crew."

"This is unbelievable! The sister of Straw Hat Luffy."

"That's...that's not a problem is it?"

"No! No of course not! I'm just amazed is all. Who could ask for a more amazing brother. it just makes you even more awesome." Aika beamed at him before she said.

"I'm so glad I met you, Shigure."

"N-No. I'm glad I met you. After all, I don't have any friends." Aika looked at him before she smiled and shuffled up to his side before resting her head on his shoulder.

"Well you do now. And maybe even more than a friend." she whispered nuzzling his shoulder affectionately as they watched the sunset together, Kumi however not looking as happy as she narrowed her eyes at Shigure. They sat together for a while until Aika and Kumi were ready to head back and before they left Shigure kissed her hand which made her giggle before she took her leave, throwing him a wink as she waved goodbye.

"_Something doesn't smell right, Aika. I don't think you should spend the day with him tomorrow or bring Luffy._" Kumi said. This snapped Aika out of the dreamy mood she was in.

"What?! Why?!"

"_It seems like he's hiding something. Those ladies said you were his first friend and yet he approached you._"

"Maybe because he decided to be brave."

"_I don't know. What if it has something to down with your connection to Luffy?_"

"What would he want form Big brother?"

"_His bounty of course._"

"Kumi you're talking nonsense. If anyone's been acting strange it's you. I think you're jealous."

"_Jealous?! Of him?! How?!_"

"Because up until now I've never had any friends my age so you've always had to be the one there for me. But now that I have met someone you're scared I'll forget about you."

"_I'm not scared I'm suspicious!_"

"Look, Kumi. I understand you're protective of me but I trust Shigure. The fact I'm his first friend too may seem a bit odd but those ladies also said how good he is so I see no reasons to suspect him of anything. End of discussion." Aika said before she carried on with Kumi following, her suspicions no lesser than before.

XXX

"What progress have you made?" Shigure's Uncle asked as his nephew returned.

"I think she likes me. And I told her to invite Luffy like you said."

"Good, good. In that case we can begin phase two. Tomorrow, you will lead the girl and Straw Hat both deep into the forest where I'll have a set a trap and be lying in wait. When the trap is sprung a net will ensnare Straw Hat which'll buy me enough time to shoot him dead with my sea stone bullet. I only have one shot so make sure he's trapped before I use it. And as a bonus for you, before I shoot I'll give you the signal and then you tackle the girl out of the way so it seems like you're saving her. That way she'll have no reason to suspect you had a part in her Captain's death." Shigure could only stare in horror at what he was being forced to do. Now knowing of Aika's relation to Luffy only made his Uncle's intentions all the more despicable. He was about to leave the room until his Uncle spoke up.

"You're hiding something again. Talk." the boy gulped as he looked back. "And I mean now, brat. It's about that girl isn't it?!"

"Leave Aika out of this."

"You're in no position to make demands, boy! It seems to me you're trying to protect that girl. I can't imagine why since she isn't my target. Unless...she would have a reason to be. there's something about her I don't know that would benefit me isn't there?! I can read you like a book so tell me now! You know what'll happen if you don't." Shigure trembled violently until he cracked and spoke.

"Aika...isn't just Luffy's cabin girl. She's...his half sister." his Uncle looked at him in shock at what he'd heard but after a few long seconds a revolting smile creased his cracked lips.

"Well, well, well. Isn't that a nice surprise. You've bagged a nice bonus."

"Hey wait a minute. You said you only wanted Luffy! The plan was for me to save Aika!"

"Well plans change, kid. You'll now lead the both of them into the trap for me to kill and send their heads to the Fleet Admiral. I'm pretty sure he'll see the family resemblance when they arrive."

"No!" he said.

"What was that?"

"I can't! I-I won't do it!" Shigure said, putting his foot down. "I hated your plan to kill Luffy enough before Aika told me her secret but now that you not only want to kill her Brother but also her now too...It's pure evil! And for what?! Money! That's all that matters to you, nothing else! I've met someone who actually cares about me and you want to take them away from me! Well I've had enough of being your lackey! I won't standby and let you kill the girl I love!"

"Love?! You've barely known her! What love could she possibly have for a worthless brat like you?!"

"APPARENTLY MORE THAN YOU! YOU FAT ONE-EYED CLOD!" the Uncle actually crushed the bottle of booze he was drinking when he heard the insult. Shigure too was staring at him in terrified shock at what he'd said before his Uncle rose from his seat and advanced towards him. the boy tried to run away but was seized by the back of his shirt before a cry of pain filled the house.

XXX

The next day Aika and Luffy headed to the park once again to meet up with Shigure. Although when they found him he didn't seem as high spirited as before. He looked exhausted and a bit hurt and what's more he had four more bandages on his arms and legs. When asked he said he took a fall on his way home and didn't get much sleep and while Aika and Luffy seemed to believe, Kumi certainly didn't. This time she was sure Shigure was lying about something and as the boy lead them through the forest she tried to get through to Aika again.

"_Aika I'm telling you, something seems really wrong here. Not only is he in a different mood but there's no way he got those bandages form falling. Maybe we should go back and_-"

"You know what, Kumi?! Just put a bone in it!" Aika shouted startling the group. "For the first time ever, I've finally made a friend my age who isn't scared of my powers and actually likes me! And all you've done is tell me to stay away from him and suspected him! I know you've always looked out for me and I've appreciated it but now you're just being possessive so why don't you do me a favour and take a big step back?! You're not the boss of me, so get of my back! Bad dog!" Kumi stared at her master in shock. Not once had she been scolded by Aika so fiercely. Maybe she was being over protective of Aika. The puppy's ears and tail drooped before she padded away and walked behind the group. Shigure looked at the puppy sadly, knowing she was right about him and it pained him even more to see Aika scold her loyal friend for trying to protect her. As the group continued, Shigure paled when he saw the lake a few yards away where his Uncle would be waiting.

"hey there's the lake." Aika pointed as she and Luffy overtook Shigure who'd slowed his pace, but as he saw them walking towards their apparent death something snapped inside him. He couldn't bare it any longer.

"Get down!" he called to the D siblings.

"What?" Aika questioned.

"Just get down and follow me." Shigure said as he began to lead them in a different direction away from the pond.

"Whoa-whoa what's going on?" Luffy asked.

"At my secret spot...there's an ambush waiting for you." Shigure said.

"Ambush? What do you mean?" Aika said confused.

"It's a trap. My Uncle; he's a bounty hunter after your heads. He ordered me to get close to you so I could lead you and your brother here so he could kill you." Aika gasped in horror.

"You mean...all that time we spent together...it was all a lie?" she whispered as tears began to sting her eyes.

"No! I mean yes! I mean, let me ex-"

"_I knew it!_" Kumi barked as she got between Shigure and the siblings. "_I knew there was something rotten about you! You never cared about Aika, you just wanted to hand her over to you Uncle to make money off of her and Luffy!"_

"How could you?!" Aika cried. "I thought you actually liked me!"  
_  
_"No it's not what you think!"

"_No! I'm not letting you break Aika's heart anymore than you already have!_" Kumi growled but just when she was about to pounce on him, Luffy grabbed the pup by her collar and held her back.

"All of you stop this!" he snapped as he set Kumi down before looking at Shigure with a hard stare that made him freeze. The Captain walked over to the boy...and set his hand on his head, gently petting him.

"Looks like you're not a wimp." he said.

"Huh?" Shigure looked confused.

"Why are you defending him?! He lied to me!" Aika asked.

"Aika look at him." Luffy said as Aika stared at the boy. "Can't you see he's in agony?" Aika looked at Shigure until she saw the immense pain in his expression which made her gasp. "You see? He never wanted to do this. He was being manipulated the entire time. His Uncle made him do all of it but inside he wanted to stop. It just took him till now to find the courage that was always there." he then looked at the bandages on the boys limbs before he pulled one of the fresher ones off revealing a hideous burn which shocked Aika and Kumi.

"He did that to you didn't he?" Luffy said without doubt. "If you said no this is what happened. I'll bet these new ones happened last night when he told you what to do today." Shigure looked at Luffy gritting his teeth in frustration before with a cry of anguish he burst into tears and hugged him.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for lying! I never wanted to do it! Playing with Aika's heart! Using her so my Uncle could get to you and then putting Aika up too when he found out about your relation! I tried standing up to him! I put my foot down and said I wouldn't let him kill you both but...but he..." he could only choke out sobs of anger and fear as Luffy rubbed his back in an attempt to comfort him. All the while Aika and Kumi were looking at the boy in complete shock. Aika was close to tears herself and as for Kumi, all that distrust and jealousy had turned into sympathy. All the time, this poor innocent boy had been a used and abused against his will and now was being forced to lead them into a trap. The puppy whined as she ran up to Shigure and gently licked the burn on his arm Luffy had revealed. The boy looked at the puppy who gave him a deeply apologetic look before she licked his tears away as he hugged the puppy.

"I hate this. I hate it so much, but there's nothing I can do! When can I stop? When can I get away from that house? When can I be happy? I don't wanna be alone. I don't wanna be scared. I don't wanna lose the only girl who's ever cared about me!" Aika couldn't take it anymore as she embraced him, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Stop. You can stop now. I'm not mad at you. You're not a liar. He made you do it. He hurt you and threatened you and you couldn't tell anyone cause he broke you. Well no longer. My Big Brother's gonna beat him into a bloody pulp and once he's gone you can go live with those nice ladies from the foster home so you can finally be safe and happy and loved."

"B-But he'll kill you!"

"Come on! This is Straw Hat Luffy remember? He's beaten warlords, marines and monsters. He can beat one stupid bounty hunter." Luffy grinned.

"You said it, Aika. Just leave this to me. Now then, let's go a different way so we avoid that trap and take him by surprise." Shigure dried his eyes before nodding.

"Ok let's go." he said as he began to lead the group in a different direction until...**click**. His foot stepped on something which began to rapidly beep. Acting fast, Luffy stretched his arm and snatched Shigure away as a small explosion went off and soon after laughter filled the air.

"So you decided to betray me, brat. Adorable!" it said mockingly.

"It's him. He knew I'd double cross him." Shigure whispered in fear. "We're already in the trap."

"Show yourself you coward!" Luffy growled. "I'm gonna kick your ass so hard you'll never sit down again! You're gonna pay for every burn you've given Shigure! He's supposed to be your nephew isn't he?!"

"HA! That little shit is worthless! Nothing but a thing for me to waste my money on. But he's useless now so I think I'll just kill him along with you and your sister!"

"We'll see about that." Luffy muttered until a whistling sound reached his ears and he dodged to avoid a bullet which hit a nearby tree. "You know bullets don't work on me!"

"Maybe not. Unless their seastone." Luffy's eyes widened a little. "Not so invincible now are you?!"

"Don't worry he only has one bullet like that." Shigure explained.

"Good luck guessing which one though!" his Uncle mocked before several gunshots filled the air and Luffy leapt away holding the kids and puppy in his arms.

"_Dammit. This could be harder than I thought._" Luffy cursed. "_I have to get the kids to safety or they might get shot by this psycho._" he narrowly dodged a few bullets before he set the kids down. "You three get out of here! I can't fight this guy and protect you at the same time! Shigure you lead Aika and Kumi out of the forest while I deal with this guy."

"But Luffy-" Aika tired to protest.

"No buts just do it!" Luffy ordered.

"I'll get her to safety I promise!" Shigure said as he began to run through the forest with Aika and Kumi close behind him, but just as Luffy was turning back to search for the boy's uncle, something glinted out of the corner of his eye. He turned back to face the kids and as he looked closely he gasped when he saw what the glint belonged to: it was a bear trap, hidden beneath a pile of leaves...and Aika was running right for it. In a flash Luffy caught up to the kids and pushed them off the path they were running but then...**SNAP!** a cry of agony filled the air as the kids looked to see Luffy's foot caught in the trap. Though it hadn't been severed due to his rubber body, the jagged mouth of the trap had closed very tightly around his ankle and pierced the skin drawing blood.

"BIG BROTHER!" Aika cried as she and Kumi ran to Luffy who was trying to remove the trap. "You're hurt!"

"It's just a scratch! Get out of here!" Luffy shouted.

"NO! I won't leave you!" Aika said as she and Kumi tried to pull the trap apart as well but failed to do so. Shigure was about to go and assist them when he spotted something close by that was slowly moving up and up...it was the barrel of a gun!

"LOOK OUT!" he yelled. **KA-BANG!** The air went still as a single gunshot sounded throughout the forest and time slowed to a crawl as Luffy, Aika and Kumi stared in absolute horror as Shigure slowly fell passed them in his wolf form...blood spraying from his side...from the bullet meant for them. The boy fell to the forest floor with a thud as blood began to pool around him.

"**SHIGUREEEE!**" Aika screamed as she ran to the wounded boy who was panting heavily. "Shigure just hold on! Don't close your eyes! Just stay with me!" she panicked as she pressed her hands to his wound to slow the bleeding. Kumi was nudging and licking his face to try and keep him awake and all the while Luffy was staring at them before an annoyed voice reached his ears.

"Shit! That was my only seastone bullet and that brat took it!" Shigure's Uncle spoke as he'd chosen to reveal himself. "Well there's more than one way to skin a cat, or monkey. I still have a chance with Straw hat still trapped. Luffy looked right at the bounty hunter before he began to seethe in rage and gripped the trap before he began to pull it apart, gritting his teeth as he strained against the tight metal. All the while, the bounty hunter had drawn a blade and was starting to approach the group. Aika looked up when she saw him coming and snarled before turning into a wolf and charged at him.

"HE WAS YOUR FAMILY AND YOU SHOT HIM! YOU MONSTER!" she roared in anger as she lunged to bite him in the face only for him to grab her by the throat.

"Shut up. That brat was never family to me and I'm glad he's gonna bleed to death soon. But don't worry, you'll soon be joining him." he said as he began to raise his blade to her throat but before he could strike **WHAM!** The broken remains of a bear trap struck him int he head, forcing him to drop Aika and the two looked to see none other than Luffy, alive, free and incredibly pissed off. The young man didn't say a word but began to pace towards the bounty hunter who growled in frustration as he loaded his rifle and shot at Luffy only for the bullet to rebound and graze his cheek though Luffy began to quicken his step. The man continued to shoot at the Captain, each shot failing to harm him until Luffy ceased his gun form him and snapped it over his knee like a branch before striking him with the broken butt of the weapon sending him flying.

"Aika..." he finally spoke gaining the girl's attention. "Go to Shigure and keep slowing his bleeding until I'm done with this guy. then we take him straight to Chopper. Do you understand?" Aika nodded before running back to Shigure as Luffy faced his Uncle cracking his knuckles before his skin began to turn pink and steamy followed by the shiny blackness of his haki.

"So you like burning people who don't listen to you huh?" he asked as he shot his fists back as far as he could, the bounty hunter starting to feel the terrifying pressure emanating from Luffy. "Well let me show just how bad that feels!" Luffy roared before he charged at the man and retracted his fists which ignited in a burst of flames. "GUM GUM RED HAWK GATLING!" the mixed sounds of striking fists, roaring fire and screams of pain echoed throughout the forest for ten long seconds before Luffy stopped leaving the beaten, broken and burned body of the hunter. Luffy then grabbed him by the front of his shirt before he began to swing him above his head like a wet towel and with all his might hurled him out of the forest, off the island and over the horizon, gone forever. He panted heavily for a moment before he rushed to Aika and Shigure and picked up the latter in his arms.

"Let's go." he muttered before he ran back as fast as he could to the Sunny with Aika and Kumi alongside.

XXX

Shigure slowly opened his eyes as he felt an ache in his side before finding himself lying in a bed in what seemed to be a sickbay. As he sat up in bed he noticed his stomach was heavily bandaged and the ache seemed to be coming from the left side.

"What happened? Where am I?"

"In the Thousand Sunny sickbay, little man." the boy looked to see Franky sitting by in a chair reading the paper. "Looks like my shifts over. How you feeling?"

"Cyborg Franky!'

"The one and only. Glad you're still alive, and I know the others will be too. Hey! the kid's finally awake!" the shipwright called before the door was flung open and the first to come running in were Aika and Kumi who jumped onto the bed and embraced Shigure.

"You're okay! I thought I'd lost you!" Aika cried as she nuzzled him through her tears while hugging him and Kumi smothered him in doggy kisses.

"Girls! Girls please! He's very tender!" Chopper cautioned as he hurried in after them, the rest of the crew close behind. The girls gasped as they let a rather pained Shigure out of their embrace.

"Sorry." Aika sweatdropped.

"It's ok. I'm lucky to be alive." Shigure grinned awkwardly.

"You can say that again, young man." Nami said as she walked up to him and lightly bopped him on the head. "What on earth were you thinking?!"

"I'm sorry. He would've killed Aika and Luffy if I hadn't. I couldn't let that happen." Nami smiled at him before she gave him a loving hug (careful of his bandages).

"Thank you. You saved my Luffy and my little Sister too. You're my hero." she said pecking his forehead thankfully.

"I owe you my life." Luffy grinned ruffling the boy's hair. "I could've had a hole in my head if not for you."

"You sound like Robin, man." Usopp muttered.

"Everything went black after I took the bullet. What happened?" Shigure asked.

"I beat that psychopath senseless and threw him off the island. You wont' be seeing him again." Luffy grinned.

"You mean...I'm free?" Shigure whispered.

"Free as a wolf." the boy looked to see Jane and Carmen of all people present as well. "The Straw hats explained everything to us." the former said.

"You had us scared half to death, Shigure." Carmen said. "We're so sorry, Shigure."

"Sorry? Why?"

"For not taking you away form that horrible place sooner. We always had thoughts that something was wrong there but we never would have guessed it was this serious. If we'd only taken you with us sooner you may not have ended up hurt like this."

'You have nothing to apologise for. I was being too weak to stand up for myself and leave. But now I can finally be happy. So, is it ok...if I come live with you?" the care takers smiled warmly at him before embracing him too.

"You never needed to ask." Jane said as the crew watched the joyful scene unfold.

XXX

"So you really have to go?"

"Yep. The log pose is set so we have to. I wish I could've stayed a little longer, but I'm a pirate. have to keep moving." The crew were now standing outside the town foster home with Shigure, Jane and Carmen as Aika was saying her goodbyes.

"Do...do you really forgive me, Aika?"

"Of course I do." Aika smiled. "I'm just glad you finally have a place to be where you're loved."

"Yeah, me too." Shigure said as his smile fell. "I'm...I'm gonna miss you, Aika." the little girl sniffed as her eyes began watering along with his. "I may have been set up to it, but I really do like you. You're sweet, gentle, fun and cute and seeing you safe makes me so happy. I only wish I could go with you." Aika thought for a moment before an idea came to her.

"I may be a Straw Hat...but someday I'm gonna start a crew of my very own so I can be just as great as my Big Brother." she glanced at Luffy who smiled at her. "But if I'm gonna have a crew, I need to get a first mate...and I think I see the perfect candidate." Shigure looked at her in surprise. "So...if you're interested. When I'm ready to be a pirate, if you're interested, me and Kumi will come and find you, and you can join our crew. And then we'll go on all sorts of adventures together with the friends we'll make along the way. Does, that sound good?" Shigure looked deep into her pleading eyes as his own glistened with happy tears before he joyfully embraced her which she returned, the two sobbing with both sadness and happiness, the adults looking on proudly. But as the two broke apart and dried their eyes Aika smiled at Shigure before she leaned in and kissed him sweetly turning him bright red and the whole group's jaws dropped as Aika pulled away and giggled at his blush before she said.

"Wait for me, ok?" Shigure, having recovered his daze, looked at her before he grinned.

"Aye-aye, Captain." Aika grinned back before she turned and began to run back towards the Sunny.

"COME ON YOU GUYS, WE GOTTA GO~!" she called as the crew looked at her in surprise before they began to follow her.

"See you again!" Luffy waved.

"You take care now!" Nami said.

"Let that wound heal up good!" Chopper ordered.

"You're contracted to Aika now, kid!" Sanji cautioned. "So you better not go chasing any skirts!"

"_You're_ giving him that advise?!" Zoro asked dumbfounded. Shigure looked on as the pirates ran to their ship as Jane and Carmen patted his shoulders reassuringly. He knew he'd see Aika again and when that time came he'd be stronger than ever, for her.

"You're growing up so fast, Aika. I don't think I can keep up with you." Luffy said.

"Shishishishi, oh Big brother." Aika laughed as they sailed away to their next adventure, and though she didn't know what the future would hold for her, she did know who she would be spending it with.

**The End**


	27. Titch of an Itch

**The Straw Hat's latest trip bring two troublesome causes on board. A mound of sugar and a flea. Which will cause more trouble?**

**One Piece belongs to Oda**

**Titch the flea belons to me**

**Blizzard, Aika and Kumi belong to XfangheartX**

* * *

A cold wind whistled through the air of the winter island the straw hat Pirates had reached a few days ago. Its name was Bison Alps Island and as the name suggested it was famous for its large population of winter bison. A breed of large white mammals that inhabited the land. The citizens had built their cultures and businesses around them using their milk, meat and sheared fur for clothing. The creatures themselves could be dangerous if threatened in their territory, but the farmed ones were quite gentle and friendly, as Aika quickly discovered.

"Hahaha! Hey stoppit that tickles!" she laughed as one of the bison was licking her face after she fed it some grass.

"Man who'd've thought bison milk would make such great ice cream." Chopper grinned who was currently enjoying a cone of the frozen treat, raspberry flavour.

"Not to mention the meat! It's so tender but has just the right amount of toughness to really get your teeth in." Luffy grinned tearing off a hunk of the leg he was feasting on.

"I made sure to gather plenty for the stock hold so this won't be the last you enjoy of it." Sanji noted.

"Well guys we best get back to the ship. The log's gonna set at the end of the day." Nami called who was wearing a lovely winter coat made from bison fur she'd purchased at one of the local shops. And by purchase I mean haggle it...and by haggle I mean scare the crap out of the cashier and threaten to beat him senseless which she nearly did when he almost called her the 'B word'.

But as the crew were making their way back to the ship something sweet caught Luffy's nose and as he turned his head he noticed a cargo carriage had tipped over on its way to the harbor and a mountain of white sparkling powder had cascaded from its hold.

"Sugar?" Luffy asked no one before he ran over to the pile. Whoever had been driving wasn't there and had likely gone for help as Luffy breathed in deeply through his nose.

"I've never smelt sugar this sweet. It must be the highest quality!" he grinned.

"Big Brother?" Luffy turned around to see Aika had followed him. "We need to get back to the ship or the others might leave without us."

"We've hit the jackpot here Little Sister!" Luffy beamed grabbing Aika by her shoulders. "White gold! Crystal Castor!" Aika blinked puzzled by the nicknames. "Sugar." Luffy simplified before he rushed off and quickly came back with some shovels and sacks before he began to shovel mounds of the sugar into the sacks.

"Luffy isn't that stealing?" Aika asked concerned.

"Oh sweet naive Aika. Don't you know the law of the land? 'If foodstuff should touch the ground, said foodstuff shall be turned over to the village idiot.' Since I'm the only idiot here, gimme a hand."

"He admits it." Aika muttered before grabbing a shovel.

XXX

Back on the Sunny, everyone was storing their purchases away in their respective locations. Nami was admiring herself in the mirror in her new coat when she flinched and scratched her back.

"Ooh~. New coats are always so scratchy. I'll give it a wash later." she said taking it off and hanging it on a hook before taking her leave.

But if you looked closely at the coat you'd see something very small poke it's head out of the furry clothing. It was a small fuzzy black insect with big bright eyes, a round red nose and its feet were oddly shaped with thorny soles like ice climber boots. What's more it was dressed in flannel dungarees and a lumberjack hat. This, dear readers, is Titch. He was a Winter Bison Flea; a native insect to the island that built their homes in the fur of the bison. Unlike most fleas however these ones didn't drink blood but dew instead as it was far easier to find in the long run. Titch had been minding his own business in his house from the last bison he'd been living on when the animal had been sheared and he was carried off with the animals shavings which were quickly crafted into Nami's coat. It was a miracle he'd made it through the ordeal without getting hurt but sadly for him his poor house had been destroyed and he was now in need of a new home.

Titch furrowed his brow, hands on his hips as he looked around Luffy and Nami's room wondering where he was before deciding he best look around for a new animal to make his home. Gathering a small bindle on a stick and a backpack the flea attached a grappling hook to one of the hairs on Nami's coat before he began to abseil down the clothing before reaching the floor. He quickly gathered the rope and hook and began to hop skip and jump his way across the room and up towards the deck. As he made his way there he began to hear voices and as he exited Zoro's and Robins room from under the door he saw a rather interesting sight.

"Luffy, Aika what are you two doing?" Nami asked as the Captain and cabin girl had arrived back at the ship carrying bags of sugar with them.

"I found this mound of sugar in town. And I didn't steal it as it's mine by the law of the land." Luffy stated.

"You mean the one about how if it touches the ground it belongs to the village idiot?" Usopp asked annoyed.

"That's the one. Seriously though this stuff is top quality I can tell." Sanji rubbed his chin before he took a pinch from one bag and tasted it causing him to perk up.

"He's right. This stuff's the real deal."

"Yep. And it's all mine." Luffy grinned.

"Hey I helped you bring it back!" Aika piped up.

"Oh yeah. You get a cut." Luffy added.

"There's no way you're gonna eat all that sugar, Luffy. Your stomach's sensitive enough as it is to sweets. Eating that will just straight up kill you." Nami said.

"I'm not gonna eat it raw! Gross! But I decide how it's used." Luffy spoke. "So if Sanji wants to use my sugar for baking he needs my permission!" the cook frowned at him as if to ask 'you serious?.' "If Usopp wants some for his plants he needs my permission! If Franky wants some for his cola? My permission! If Brook wants some for his tea!"

"OK WE GET IT!" Nami snapped. "Just put the stupid stuff away! I don't want it attracting ants." Chopper eyed one of the bags hungrily.

"_I wonder if it's as good as Sanji said?_" he thought as he reached out to take a pinch only for Luffy to growl at him before he could touch it.

"I said no touching!"

"Scary~." Chopper whimpered as Luffy carried the sugar off to the store room. All the while Titch couldn't make sense of the bizarre scene he'd witnessed as he'd been distracted when he noticed Chopper. Reaching into his backpack he pulled out a book titled 'Fine Furs and Where to Find Them.' The flea flicked through the pages before he found one for reindeer as he looked at Chopper's antlers to confirm. The pages contained pictures of fur strands and the animal followed by four stars. Titch rubbed his hands gleefully at the results before he gathered his things and hopped after the grumpy Chopper who was stomping away with his arms folded.

"Greedy Luffy. What does he plan to do with all that sugar? Stare at it like a goldfish?" he asked himself as Titch took a huge leap and jumped into the little reindeer's fur making him flinch slightly.

"What was that?" he looked around but shrugged when he found no one scratching himself a little before carrying on. Little did he know though, Titch was traversing through his fur like an explorer through a hairy jungle, brushing strands aside until he reached a more open area of skin where he set his bags down. The little flea reached into the backpack and pulled out an axe, walked over to one of the hairs and spat on his hands before rubbing them together as he began to hack away at the base of the hair as though it were a tree even making a 'timber!' like squeak as it fell. Chopper stopped suddenly when it happened as though he'd heard it.

"Weird. Somehow I feel like I'm not alone." he wondered. Meanwhile Titch was hard at work chopping down hairs like lumber with his tiny axe until he had a large pile of them. After cutting them into smaller pieces he grabbed one and began to drag it to the open spot huffing with effort as he tried to lift the heavy hair until his feet slipped under him and he fell on his back. After picking himself up, to get a better grip with the ground, he dug his thorny feet into Choppers skin and went back to dragging the hair but as he did so Chopper stopped moving and tensed.

"OOH! Where's that itch coming from?!" he gritted and tried to scratch the spot where Titch was but found he couldn't as the flea had based his camp in the one spot he couldn't get to in his brain point. "Damn these stubby arms and hooves! Better switch to my heavy point." Chopper proposed before morphing. The sudden change in size sent Titch flying into the air as he clung onto one of Chopper's hairs for dear life but as he looked up he squeaked in fright to see one of the reindeer's giant fingers coming towards him. Left with no other option he grabbed his bags and leapt away from Chopper's back and down to the deck.

"Ah much better." Chopper sighed now able to scratch his back. "Don't you just hate it when you get it in that one spot?" he hummed as he changed back to brain point and headed off to the medical bay. Titch scratched his head, puzzled, as he looked back at his book studying the page on reindeer. It said nothing about them shape shifting. He frowned at Chopper before putting the book away and went back to exploring the ship to see if he could find another animal to live on top of.

XXX

Elsewhere Luffy had already gone through his checklist of pester Sanji, pester Zoro, make out with Nami and play with Aika. With no further ideas on what to do, he decided to go check on his sugar horde. As he made his way to the store room he hummed a little song he'd made up to himself.

"Checkin' on my sugar bags, opening the door. Can't wait to see my sugar bags sittin' on the..." he would have finished the lyric but as he entered the store room he gasped. "NOOOOO!" three of the bags were missing as Luffy's ears began to steam with rage. Thinking fast he sniffed one of the bags so he could get the scent and began to follow it as it lead him below deck. He burst into the workshop to find Usopp and Franky standing before one of their inventions pouring one of the bags of sugar into it while the second lay empty and the third unopened.

"THIEVES!" Luffy pointed and charged at the pair who suddenly noticed him as Luffy swiped the unopened bag and the half empty oen Usopp was holding.

"Hey we need that for our invention!" the sniper said.

"Don't you snap at me, long nose!" Luffy rebuked. "What did I say about touching my sugar without permission?!"

"We didn't think you'd mind. I know how much you like our contraptions so we took some in secret so we wouldn't ruin the surprise." Franky explained.

"Well you thought wrong! This is my sugar and you can't have it unless I say so!" Usopp sighed in irritation.

"Ok. May we use your sugar for our invention?"

"No!"

"Why not?!"

"Because you betrayed my trust! For that you never get to use my sugar supply again!"

"You can't do that!" Franky blurted. "We need more sugar to complete it!"

"Well you should've thought of that before you stole it from me." Luffy snorted before walking away with his wares.

"Jeez I never thought Straw Hat would get so sour over sweet stuff like that. Why keep it to himself when it could be used for other things he likes?" Franky wondered.

"You got me. I think it best we just wait till he passes through this phase."

XXX

Elsewhere Titch was on the search for a new animal, preferably one that couldn't shape-shift. As he explored the upper deck of the Sunny, stopping to take a drink from one of Robin's flowers, he stopped when he heard snoring a looked to see Kumi snoozing in a patch of sunshine. Consulting the book he found a section on common dogs with three stars next to it. Not as good as reindeer but Kumi's breed was a particularly fluffy one which made up for it. Wasting no further time Titch scurried over to the puppy and stopped to examine her claws. They were short due to her age which meant it would be hard for her to scratch him out should he make her itch before he jumped into her fur. The akita snorted awake for a moment but quickly fell back to sleep with a yawn.

The flea made his way through the forest of fur before he reached a suitable spot and got to work with his axe. But as he struck the first hair rather than cut into it the axe seemed to push the hair back. Titch stared in surprise as he repeatedly swung at the hair but found it refused to stay still enough for the axe to dig in. But as he examined it and double checked the book he slapped his forehead. Kumi's fur was still too young. It was so soft and flimsy there wasn't enough resistance for the axe blade to make a cut. This called for the big guns. Titch put the axe away and instead pulled out a miniature chainsaw. If he couldn't hack the hair down he'd simply have to slice through it gradually. Placing the tool at the base of the hair, the flea gripped the starting cord and began to rev up the saw's engine before it sprung to life in a buzzing frenzy. Unfortunately, Titch didn't use his chainsaw too often and wasn't used to it's wild movements and as a result the wild vibrations of the saw sent him into an uncontrollable shuffle as he went skidding all over Kumi's back trying to gain control of the tool.

As you likely guessed this didn't bode well for the puppy as she suddenly broke out into a fit of itchiness. **AWOOOOOO!** She howled as she scratched furiously at her back to try and reach the itch but due to her short claws it was no easy task as she began barking up a storm and ran like the wind stopping to roll over, rub against the wall, anything to try and quell the itch. And of course Titch wasn't having the best time either as the pup's wild movements had sent him had sent him tumbling all throughout her fur as he tried to cling onto hairs to avoid dropping off her whenever she rolled onto her back. **Yip-Yip-Yip! Ai-Ai-Ai!** Kumi's high pitched bark sounded through the ship as she ran all over the place in an itchy craze.

"Kumi!" Aika called to her as she spotted her dog. "Kumi what on earth's gotten into you? Did you eat those dog biscuits only Blizzard can have again? You know those things make you go ballistic." But Kumi took no notice as she was still too focused on trying to quell the her itchiness which showed no sign of stopping what with poor Titch being thrown around her hide mercilessly, his spiky feet dragging against her skin causing further irritation. The puppy dashed blindly around the ship until eventually she crashed into one of Robin's flowerbeds sending it toppling over.

"Kumi are you alright?!" the archaeologist asked having witnessed the show from her lawn chair as she rushed to tend the puppy who was still scratching herself. "My goodness what's gotten you so itchy? Do you have fleas by any chance?"

"_Fleas?! Me?! How rude!_" Kumi barked.

"I dunno maybe aunt Robin's right." Aika agreed. "I think you should take a bath jut to be sure." Kumi's eyes shrunk.

XXX

"_No! NO! Anything but a bath! I don't have fleas I know I don't!_" Kumi whimpered as Aika dragged her to the bathroom.

"Even so you're due for one anyway. Don't listen to the rumors Blizzard told you he's just a big baby." Aika countered locking the door and filling the tub. Concurrently Titch had regained consciousness after the wild ride Kumi had sent him on. But as he climbed up a hair and saw Aika squirting the shampoo and flea shampoo into the bath he went white with terror as the girl picked up Kumi and carried her tot he bath. It was a narrow escape as Titch grabbed his bags and leapt from Kumi just as she was dropped into the tub. A second too late and he'd be a dead bug. This was turning out to be one crazy ship. he never had it this hard with the bison, they barely noticed him. As eh made his way out of the bathroom and back to the deck he stopped to see Luffy marching back and forth across the entrance tot he store room where his sugar was.

"No one's getting in here without my say-so!" he stated out loud before Blizzard came padding along.

"_Luffy this is stupid. You've been pacing on this spot so long you've made a trench in the deck._" the Captain looked down to see a foot deep trench spanning the width of the door in the lawn deck.

"I can't let anyone sneak in and steal my sugar again! This is super sweet stuff and I wont' let it be wasted!" Blizzard sighed.

"_Alright if I agree to guard the sugar will you promise to go do something else, anything else?! You're starting to drive me crazy just by looking at you._" he cringed at the sight of Luffy's twitchy, sleep deprived face.

"You promise?"

"_I'm a guard dog it's what I do. It was your idea, remember?_"

"Oh yeah I forgot. I guess it wasn't just a last minute excuse to convince Nami to let me keep you. You're on sugar duty then, soldier. Don't let me down!" Luffy ordered before walking away as Blizzard rolled his eyes and sat in front of the door.

"_Honestly, he may be more obsessed with this stupid sugar than meat and __**that's**__ not a good sign._" but little did he know he was being watched, but not by someone out to steal Luffy's sugar, but rather a homeless winter bison flea. Titch stared at Blizzard, astonished by his size and more importantly his snowy white fur. Pulling out his book once more he flicked through the pages and stopped to look at a certain page before his eyes popped. It was a section on wolves...and it had five stars.

"WEEE! WEEE! HOORAY-HOORAY!" Titch hopped and clapped on the spot ecstatic of his find before he sped to Blizzard with the speed of a bullet and dove into the wolfdog's fur. After the bad luck he'd had with Chopper and Kumi he wasn't about to strike out yet again. So wasting no time he immediately began chopping down hairs until he had a pile of them ready to assemble as he pulled out some blueprints and swapped his lumberjack cap for a hardhat. He rubbed his hands and jumped on the spot, excited he might finally successfully build his house. Blizzard twitched when he felt a slight itch on his back but it stopped as soon as it started and he went back to guarding the sugar. But that was when his ears pricked up when he thought he heard the distant sound of a construction sight.

"_Am I going crazy or can I hear someone building something?_" he thought. And as matter of fact he was right, as deep within his fur, Titch was driving a crane which seemed to have come out of nowhere and he was using it's giant claw to lift the chopped hairs and drop them into place. Blizzard scratched his ear and listened but couldn't find the source of the noise.

"_I must be imagining things. Guarding this stupid sugar's a complete bore._" he huffed. Back in his fur Titch was putting the last finishing touches to his house as he placed a flag on top, eyes watering with pride, he stepped back and let out a cry of joy at his now finished masterpiece. Standing before him was a tall sturdy mansion of fur complete with windows and even a balcony. The flea stared up at his new home before he let out a cheer and began to dance around the house, moon walking and tap dancing as he went. The result, is what you would think.

Blizzard immediately broke out into a howl as he began to furiously scratch himself and chew at his fur. Titch squeaked in fright as he saw Blizzards choppers coming at him as he ran for his life, his thorny feet only spreading the itch further before he reached his new house and locked the door once he was inside while Blizzard rolled over and dragged himself all over the deck whining as he did so to try and stop the itching.

"_Oh this itch! It won't stop! If Luffy or Nami see me like this they'll...give me a bath!_" he panicked in thought. "_I need something! Something to soothe the itch. Chopper maybe? No he'll just recommend a bath. There's gotta be something._" but that was when he heard humming and looked to see Aika coming out of the kitchen with Kumi, the former holding two bowls of ice cream. The cabin girl sat herself on one the swing before setting one of the bowls down fro Kumi who began to dig in while she began to eat her own. An idea came to Blizzard.

"See Kumi? I told you that bath wouldn't be so bad. And now, no more itching." she smiled at her puppy.

"_Yeah! I don't know what Blizzard's so afraid of._" Kumi smiled back before the two saw the wolfdog bounding towards the kitchen himself. "_Hmm wonder what he's after?_" Blizzard entered the kitchen and made a dash for the fridge, pulling the freezer section open with his mouth to find a large tub of Cookies 'n' Cream ice cream. He flipped the lid off with his nose before he positioned himself under the freezer, gritting his teeth from the itching

"Blizzard?" his gaze turned to the door when he heard Aika's voice. "Are you hungry? I can get you some ice cream too if you like." It gave him no pleasure, but Blizzard turned away from Aika and butted against the fridge door, causing the ice cream to fall out and land on his back.

"BLIZZARD!" Aika cried as the wolfdog let out a content sigh from the frozen treat soothing his itchy back as he lay down and began to roll in the ice cream soothing as much of the itch as he could (A.N. Credit goes to Fang for this part XD).

"Blizzard! Bad dog!" Aika scolded. "That was my favourite ice cream and you wasted it! I'm telling Nami!" she added before running off to find the navigator.

"_Blizzard what in the world's gotten into you?_" Kumi asked trotting up to him. "_Why in the world would you roll in ice cream?!_"

"_I had no choice. It was the only way I could stop the itching._" Blizzard panted.

"_Itching?_" Kumi queried before Aika came running back with Nami right behind her.

"Blizzard!" she growled making him tremble in fear. "What do you have to say for yourself young dog?! You know better than to make a mess like this _and_ ruin one of Aika's favourite treats. Explain yourself!" **Yip-Yip!** Kumi barked.

"She said he did it to stop the itching." Aika told Nami.

"Itching? Wasn't Kumi rather itchy earlier today?" Nami asked before she frowned at Blizzard. "Well there's only one way to deal with that and it's not bathing in ice cream...A bath." Blizzard let out a frightened whine. "Blizzard, you get no peanut butter for a week for wasting Aika's ice cream and you're gettign a bath this instant! Come here!" the wolf dog darted away from Nami as she lunged to grab him before he sped off the ship in a panic, passing by Luffy as he did.

"HEY! BLIZZARD I HAVE BONE TO PICK WITH YOU!" the Captain roared. "You left your post and now more of my sugar's been stolen!" but Blizzard was already out of sight he sighed. "If you want something done right, do it yourself. That's one lesson Grandpa was right about." he muttered as he began dragging the sugar bags out onto the deck before dumping the contents into a pile in the center of it.

"Luffy have you seen Blizzard?" Nami asked exiting the kitchen before she spotted Luffy sitting before the sugar mound, legs crossed. "What are you doing?"

"Guarding my sugar. Blizzard promised to do it but instead he goes out for a run and more of it got stolen. Well no more! I'm guarding this by myself!"

"Oh for goodness sake, Luffy it's sugar! Can't you just leave it be?"

"No way! That'd be like telling you to let everyone have access to your money!"

"Now's no time to be arguing. Blizzard needs a bath stat and you're the only one who can wrestle him into one so go get him!" Nami ordered.

"Oh he's gotta come back to the ship sometime. He'll stop being a big baby soon enough."

"Shame you show no signs of stopping." Nami murmured under her breath.

"I heard that!"

"Fine! You want ants?! Cause that's how you get ants, Luffy!"

XXX

"_...There...I guess...that's far enough..._" Blizzard panted who was now in the middle of one of the island's forests having run as far as he could until he was sure he was out of Nami's reach. But as he lay down for a short rest from all the running a rustling sound snapped him to his senses as he ears and eyes swiveled over he area before...**BANG!** The hound jumped to avoid a bullet which struck near his foot. He growled fiercely as out of the bushes came a pair of bounty hunters.

"I knew it was you, Whitewolf." said the first. "We've been after your bounty for a while."

"So how about you spare yourself the pain and come quietly?" asked the second. "We prefer to bring our catches in alive."

"_Fat chance, assholes._" Blizzard thought with a smirk as he prepared to give them a good mauling. But just as he was about to pounce, the itch suddenly returned forcing him to scratch himself again. "_Oh no no now!_" Blizzard cursed. "_I can't fight and scratch at the same time!_"

"Looks like Whitewolf has a little flea problem." the first hunter grinned. "Now's our chance, go for it!" the second hunter nodded before pointing his gun at Blizzard, who was still overcome with itching, and fired a net at him, enveloping the hound in its tangled threads.

"Got him! Now let's go for a walk." the thug grinned before the two of them began to drag Blizzard away.

"_Damn this is embarrassing. How could I let myself be netted like this?! Thank gd Luffy or Zoro aren't here they'd never let me live it down._" Blizzard muttered. "_Just wait till I get out of here._" but before he could start gnawing at the net something very small appeared on his nose, forcing him to go cross eyed as he stared at whatever it was. It was none other than Titch who'd gone for an explore to see what was happening. This one insect was the cause of Blizzard's itching? The winter bison flea looked around at the situation before he spotted the bounty hunters and a glare crossed his face. He had no idea who these humans were, but _nobody_ steals a flea's foundation. Rolling up his 'sleeves' and pulling down his hat's brim, Titch hopped off Blizzard and began to climb the net until he was close enough to leap onto the first hunter and made his way to the man's back before revealing a mouthful of huge teeth.

"So what're you gonna do with your share of the bounty?" asked the second hunter to the first.

"Ah the usual; booze, grub, nights with company~." he smirked. **CHOMP!** In that instant the man dropped the net and let out a cry. "GAH!"

"WHAT?! WHAT IS IT?!"

"THIS ITCH! IT BURNS!" the first hunter wailed taking off his shirt as he attempted to reach a large red swelling about the size of plumb on his back. A sight that made both the second hunter and Blizzard recoil. **CHOMP-CHOMP-CHOMP! **Suddenly three more popped up on the man's back, shoulder and waist sending him into an even bigger frenzy of scratching.

"What's going on?! Where're those blemishes coming from?!" asked the second hunter, but he soon got his answer as Titch jumped from the first hunter to him and began to bite him too making him break out into hives as well. All the while Blizzard could hardly believe what he was seeing. Was this little flea really trying to save him? And why hadn't he got any of those nasty bites? Choosing not to question it, the wolfdog began to chew his way out of the net while Titch kept the hunters busy. The flea, noticing his 'house' was breaking free, decided he'd done enough and hurried back as the bounty hunters continued to scratch themselves. But they ceased when they heard a growl and looked to see Blizzard surrounded by the shredded remains of the net. The situation obvious, the two ran for their lives, Blizzard chasing after them in a fury of barking, though he managed to bite them both on the rear before they dashed out of sight still itching like monkeys. The hound nodded his head before he began to head back, smiling as Titch hopped back onto his nose to be seen.

"_Man. I never would've expected a flea to have my back. In more ways that one. Thanks a lot, pipsqueak._" he said to Titch who squeaked and hopped on his nose in reply. "_Yeah you're right, I need to go back. As much as I hate baths._"

XXX

Back on the Sunny, Luffy was still sitting by his sugar pile, his eye's droopy from boredom. He'd spent the whole afternoon shooing off crewmates attempting to literally ask for a cup of sugar and he was exhausted.

"Must...protect...sugar. Thieves everywhere. The strong must protect the sweet...the sweet..." he drolled before nodding off as Nami approached him looking rather annoyed.

"Luffy." she shook him slightly.

"In the New World, first you get the sugar. Then you get the power. Then you get the women." Luffy mumbled in his sleep earning an awkward look from Nami who shook him harder.

"Luffy wake up!"

"Wh-What?"

"Look Luffy I've had it up to here with you and this stupid sugar! You're being completely paranoid." Nami frowned.

"Oh am I? Am I really?" Luffy asked before sticking his arm in the pile and Pulling out Brook, teacup and saucer in hand. "A-HA!"

"Hello~." the skeleton greeted.

"Alright Brook 'fess up! Where'd you get the sugar for that tea?!" Luffy demanded.

"As a gentleman and because you're my Captain I shall tell you only the honest truth..." Brook began. "...I nicked it when you let your guard down for that split second...and I'd do it again." he sipped his tea as he took his leave of the scene. "Ta-ta."

"You see, Nami? Do you see?!"

"Luffy. When are going to let this go?" Nami asked with her hands on her hips.

"NEVER! Never, Nami. I can't live in blissful safety with my loot like you. I want it all! The sudden silences, the narrow close calls, the sweeeet victories. Sure. I may offend some of the Bluebeard pirates with my cocky grin and musky odors. Oh. I'll never be the favourite of the so called 'big shot Captains' who cluck their tongues, smell their farts, and talk about 'What's to be done with this Monkey D Luffy?!'" Luffy ranted his face growing crazier with each sentence whereas Nami had had enough of this rubbish.

"Look. Just get rid of the sugar ok?"

"No!" Luffy turned away, arms folded before a buzzing noise began to fill the air...and out of it came a swarm of bees which began to gather and feast on the pile of sugar. Luffy stared for a few second before he screamed in shock.

"AAAAH! HEY! GET OFF MY SUGAR! BAD BEES! BAD!" he swatted at them causing a few to sting him. "Ow! OWWWW! Oh they're defending themselves somehow!" he whined as he continued to fight the bees while Nami shook her head and walked away.

"Well it's better than ants." she said before she heard the patter of paws and looked to see Blizzard heading up the gangplank. "There you are. Finally came to your senses, Blizzard? Now come on. Your fur's gonna start to stink if you leave it like that." Blizzard whined in defeat and followed the navigator to the bathroom. Naturally Titch hopped to the mantelpiece to avoid the water, as well as enjoy the show as Blizzard begrudgingly let Nami bathe him. It had turned out to be a long day for him.

XXX

The next morning, after the Sunny had departed, Blizzard decided to introduce the crew to his little friend, except for Luffy who still refused to leave his sugar unguarded. Needless to say the gang were surprised by the insect's valiance.

"A fascinating specimen." Robin commented as they looked at Titch through one of Usopp's magnifying glasses as he waved at them as well as show the crew his name on tiny bit of paper. "It seems Titch here was spirited away onto our cosy little ship through Nami's coat. He must have tried all three of our animal members to make his new home.

"I guess he didn't try me cause he didn't see my wolf form." Aika added.

"But then why didn't any of us get those big red hives Blizzard said the hunters got from Titch?" Chopper queried.

"Winter Bison Fleas are vegetarian by diet." Robin explained. "But since they live in a winter climate they use their serrated feet to grip the bison's skin to brave the winds. Naturally dog and reindeer skin isn't as thick as a bison's. That's why it made you itch. They're bite however is defensive. To predator's their size it's fatal but to mammals like us it causes those horrible irritations. Apparently they itch for a week and a day."

"Now that's an itch not be scratched at." Usopp whistled.

"Well it seems he has no intent on causing us trouble." Zoro said. "Though you have to wonder how is he gonna live on Blizzard with those feet?"

"Hmm. I think I have an idea." Aika said as she hurried to the garden and plucked a couple of tiny flower petals before returning and leaving them beside Titch. "He can use these to cover his feet so Blizzard won't feel them." Titch reached for the petals and wrapped them around his feet like a pair of socks and he hopped from foot to foot to admire them, giving Aika a thankful squeak to which she giggled. "You're welcome."

"Hey someone go get Luffy, I bet he'd love to meet the little bug." Franky spoke up.

"If he agrees to leave his sugar alone." Zoro muttered as he group exited the kitchen to see their Captain, horribly stung and hugging the sugar mound.

"That's right. Those nasty bees can't harm you anymore." he chuckled petting the sugar gently.

"Guys I think he needs an intervention." Usopp muttered.

"He's got a first degree case of sugar high." Sanji diagnosed. "And yet he's eaten none of it."

"That's it. I'm gonna get rid of that stuff myself." Nami said as she prepared to go see to the matter but then...**RMMMMMMMB!** Everyone looked up to hear the sound of thunder...and soon after it, came rain. Luffy blinked curiously before he looked to his sugar and saw to his horror it had begun to dissolve.

"NOOOOO! My sugar is melting! MELTING! Oh what a world!" Luffy wailed as he collapsed on top of the puddle of melted sugar while Brook spat out the tea he was drinking. "Oh sugar." At first all Nami wanted was to slap some sense into Luffy but she soon found herself taking pity as she knelt down beside him and stroked his hair.

"I'm sorry, Luffy. I know that sugar meant a lot to you." Luffy breathed through his nose before he rested his head in his palm, a casual look on his face.

"It's ok, Nami. I've learned my lesson. A mound of sugar is just too much for one man to handle. I now understand why it's crushed into those tiny cubes and packets. And besides...you're all the sugar I'll ever need." Nami giggled and ave him a kiss on the cheek before pulling him up.

"Go on. Why don't you go say hello to Blizzard's new flea. he fought off two bounty hunters with just his teeth."

"We have a fighting flea in our crew now?! Lemme see!" Luffy grinned running over to meet Titch as Nami watched him go before heading off to her and Luffy's room. She looked both ways before locking the door and opening a secret compartment in the floor under the rug...to reveal it filled with the stolen sugar bags. She grinned wickedly as she scooped out a tea spoonful and popped it into her mouth humming contently at the flavour.

"Sweet."  
**  
The End**


End file.
